A Young Boy No More
by Raekitty13
Summary: What happens when Jessica, a friend of Wendy's greatgranddaughter, comes to Never Land? How does she manage to convince Peter to grow up when even Wendy, his first true love, could not? My first Peter Pan Fic. Jessica's POV. Please R&R.
1. A Fairy Tale Before Bed

**Peter Pan**

**A Young Boy No More**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Peter Pan-but I wish I did! He is a total DREAM! I mean… being able to write a story or direct a movie like that is beyond belief- a TOTAL dream!

**Author's Notes: **This story is the next adventure of Peter and Tinker Bell. Margaret (Jane's daughter) is now married and has three children of her own, Tonya, Nancy and Karen. Most of the plot follows the latest Peter Pan movie (which follows the book pretty close) and Return to Never Land. I understand that this first chapter isn't going to be very good but the story should pick up momentum as it continues. Please at least ride it out to the second or third chapter. Then if you don't like it you can tell me so (I want reviews of all kinds anyway, I just want you to give my idea a fair chance. First chapters are often what grab readers attentions making them the hardest to write!) or continue reading if you wish. Enjoy!

**Chapter One- A Fairy Tale Before Bed**

"Come here Children. I will tell you a story before bed."

"Mother, please! I'm twelve! You can't expect Jess and I to listen to silly stories!"

"Tonya! I will not be spoken to in such a way!" Tonya's mother replied sharply.

"A story?" I asked. "What kind of story, Mrs. Nickelson?"

"Along tale, three actually. The first told to my Mother by my Grandmother, the second told to me by my mother and the third an adventure of my own!" She answered with a grin.

"Let me guess, Mother. Does it have to do with a boy in tights who never grows up?" Tonya asked with a false sense of excitement. "Named Peter Pan? Again? We've heard his story the most!"

"Maybe you'd like to tell the story then, Tonya, dear." She replied. "As I recall your guest and sisters haven't heard the story before."

"And they most likely don't want to! We're not babies any more, Mother! We're quite grown up!"

_Speak for yourself! _I wanted to shout. Mrs. Nickelson's stories were great! Plus being grown up was over rated.

"Tonya Nickelson, I'll have none of this! You think you're too grown up for stories? Then I think you are too grown up for sleepovers. This will be your last one. You think you are too old for adventures of a lifetime? Then you are too old for sweets and goodnight kisses."

In all of the times I had been over at the Nickelson's house (a total of too many times to count) I'd never heard Tonya's mother so mad. She was normally sweet and gentle, a lot like my mother had been.

"If it weren't for your guest and younger sisters, you would already be punished for speaking to me in such a manor! As it is, I will leave you and your friend to your grown up business."

Mrs. Nickelson stood up and walked to the door. "Nancy, Karen, if you girls wish to hear the story of the boy who will never grow up and his marvelous adventures in Never Land, I will have hot cocoa and cookies waiting downstairs."

I couldn't help myself, "Mrs. Nickelson, are they chocolate-chip cookies by any chance?"

Mrs. Nickelson's angry face broke into a smile as she laughed. By the time Tonya and I had started kindergarten we were the best of friends. Now a days we were inseparable, I mean we practically lived at each other's houses! Mrs. Nickelson had managed to not only memorize all of her children's favorite dishes and snacks, but mine as well.

And chocolate-chip cookies were at the top of my favorite's list.

"Of course, Jessica, dear." Her smile still playing across her lips.

"Come on, Tonya! One story won't hurt!" I persuaded.

Tonya just glared at me.

"It was one my mother used to tell me all about until I had my own adventure with Peter," Mrs. Nickelson added.

"Who's Peter, Mummy?" Karen, the youngest of all the Nickelson girls, asked.

As Tonya's mother answered her youngest I continued to persuade my best friend.

"But there's CHOCOLATE-CHIP cookies!" I emphasized my words drastically.

Tonya continued to glare at me from her favorite armchair by the fireplace.

"Fine then. You want the cookies so bad you can go downstairs and join the babies." Tonya replied suddenly crossing her arms.

Mrs. Nickelson and Tonya's little sisters had already gone downstairs. I decided I would go for two reasons. One: I love chocolate-chip cookies. Two: Mrs. Nickelson tells good stories!

"At least babies still get to have fun!" I retorted and walked out the door. I knew she'd follow soon enough of her own accord.

Tonya might be stubborn, but she's not one to miss out on a bit of fun. Walking into the living room I was delighted to see a tray of my favorite cookies sitting on the coffee table. Nancy and Karen were sitting in their favorite chairs facing the fire.

"Jessica, dear, is that you?" Tonya's mother called from the kitchen.

"Yes, ma'am." I answered.

"Did you manage to convince Tonya to come hear another 'baby-ish' story?"

"No, but you might want to make that extra cup of hot cocoa." I replied with a smile.

Mrs. Nickelson stuck her head around the kitchen corner. "In that case, will you help me carry in the mugs?"

"Of course, Ma'am." I picked up the mugs as she lifted the hot teapot gingerly.

Sure enough, just as I was reaching for my first cookie, Tonya walked down the stairs. She sat down next to me and avoided her younger sisters' eyes as she reached for a cookie as well.

"You're just in time. Care of a Mug of cocoa, Tonya, dear?" Mrs. Nickelson said gently as if to not frighten her away.

"Yes please, Mother." She answered, then asked quietly. "So tell me, Mother. Who is Peter?"

"Ahh- 'Tis quite a long tale, that of Peter's. For he is the Boy Who Will Never Grow Up."

"Impossible! All children grow up," Tonya exclaimed halfheartedly.

"Perhaps they do, but Peter has yet to grow into a man. He is the same age today as he was when my grandmother, Wendy Darling, met him."

Mrs. Nickelson spun us a stupendous tale involving Peter, Tinker Bell, Wendy, John, Michael and the Lost Boys. Peter's tale started when he was twelve. He stayed up late one night and over heard his parents talking.

They were planning his future. Speaking of school and which office he would work in when he grew up. All of this talk frightened Peter. He did not want to grow up! He wanted to stay a boy forever and enjoy all the fun of life as a child.

So that night he ran away from home. He found Tinker Bell, his faithful Fairy in the Kensington Gardens and from there they flew to the second to the right and straight on till morning. Peter was going to make Never Land his new home, and home it was.

Peter often rescued other boys from the same fate he was afraid of. If they joined him they were considered one of his lost boys. They're rules were simple. Peter was the caption and no one was allowed to grow up.

All of the lost boys loved stories and because Peter was the caption and their make believe father, it was his job to find new stories to tell them. One night he stopped by the Darling window. He saw Wendy, John and Michael sword playing and later he heard their mother tell them the story of Cinderella.

When he told them all her had heard of the story from Wendy's mother the Lost Boy's wanted more of the story and they had Peter return to the Darling house. When he came back he had more than what they were expecting. He had two new lost boys for them and a new mother to tell them stories all of the time!

But Tinker Bell being jealous of Wendy from the start decided to plot against her. As the Darling children and Peter entered Never Land they spotted Caption Hook's Pirate ship. It wasn't long before Hook noticed Peter as well. His mates tried to blow him out of the sky with cannons and such, but all they managed to do was split up the group.

Peter sent Tink off to find Wendy while he went and distracted Hook from her and her brothers. Using this time as a way to rid the Never Land of Wendy, Tink led her straight into the Lost Boys.

Flying to them she told the Boys that Peter wanted them to shoot the Wendy Bird that was flying towards them. Doing what they thought Peter had told them they shot Wendy down. But when she landed they noticed that she wasn't a bird but a lady.

They learned when Peter arrived that Wendy was to be their new mother and tell them stories. They all assumed Wendy was dead but Peter's Kiss (his acorn button) had saved her! They built a small house around her instead of taking her to their secret house.

When Peter learned that Tinker Bell was the one responsible for Wendy's near death experience he claimed that she was no longer his Fairy or friend. Tinker Bell was sad and lonely. Later her depression would lead her to joining Caption Hook.

Wendy's brothers meanwhile had been wondering the forest. While doing so they got trapped in Indian Princess Tiger Lily's bear trap. Unfortunately from there the three of them were captured and used as bait by Caption Hook to trap Peter Pan.

Peter, Wendy and the Lost Boys save the day! They escape and return to the hidden house. Later Peter and Wendy are dancing with the Fairies. Wendy had fallen in love with Peter. That night she began to question Peter, trying to see if he felt the same way about her.

Peter did like Wendy, maybe even love her, but he didn't tell her that. He told her that he was only a child who didn't care about such adult matters like love.

Caption Hook and Tinker Bell had been watching the two of them dance and then their fight. It had given Hook something to fight Peter with. If he could sympathize with Wendy and put her against Peter, than he would win against Peter Pan once and for all!

His plan worked. Wendy became the pirate known to the crew as Red Handed Jill. When Peter heard of the new pirate he talked of killing her. Wendy told her whole make believe family that she was the newest pirate aboard the Jolly Roger and if Peter wanted to kill her than so be it.

Instead Wendy demanded that she and her brothers leave for home immediately. Peter arranged for a guild to take them home. Wendy said they could all go home with her. Her mother and father would adopt them and they too would have a real mother and father.

Peter allowed them to go home with Wendy but he refused to go along with them. Little did he know that all of them had just walked into a trap. Caption Hook had captured them all. He was planning on making them all walk the plank. He couldn't reach Peter with his hook or sword so he poisoned Peter's medicine, knowing he would take it because Wendy told him to do so.

Tink, finally able to get out of Hook's grasp flew as fast as she could to warn Peter of the poison. But Peter didn't believe Tinker Bell so she had to drink the poisoned medicine herself. It killed her and Peter was devastated.

In order to save her he began chanting, "I do believe in fairies, I do! I do!" over and over again. People all over the world young and old began chanting with Peter too.

Soon Tinker Bell was alive and well again thanks to everyone's belief in fairies. Tink told Peter that Wendy and the Lost Boys had been kidnapped by Hook and set out to find them.

Again Peter saved the day, but this time Peter had help from Wendy and her thimble (hidden kiss). When they all made it back to the Darling house Wendy tried again to persuade Peter to stay but to no avail.

"For Peter was to remain the Boy, Who Was To Never Grew Up," Mrs. Nickelson concluded her first story.

"Mummy," Nancy asked. "What happened to Grandma Jane when she visited Peter and the Never Land?"

"Ahh, you see girls, Jane's adventure wasn't romantic like her mother's. It was inspiring."

Jane was young when her father left to help fight in World War Two. He had told her to be a big girl and take care of the family and that is exactly what she did. She took care of her mother, Wendy, and her younger brother, Daniel.

One night after a really close bombing had gone off Jane had yelled at her brother telling him that Peter Pan wasn't real. She had said there was no such thing as magic or Pixie dust. Daniel had started crying and Wendy couldn't believe that Jane had done such a thing.

Jane had gone to be crying, knowing that she and her brother were going to evacuated to the countryside early the next day. Drifting to sleep by the window Jane clutched her brother's Peter Pan doll.

Little did Jane know but outside her window while she slept was Caption James Hook, just waiting for her to fall asleep. For as soon as she did so he and his crew members kidnapped her thinking she was Wendy. They took her back to the Never Land, planning on using her as bait to catch Peter Pan.

Their plan failed. Peter had saved Jane, also thinking she was Wendy, but when he let her out of her bag he knew right away that it wasn't Wendy he had saved. Jane had to explain to him that she was the daughter of Wendy and that she needed to get home.

Sometime during her visit to Never Land Jane had mentioned that she didn't believe in Fairies and thanks to her Tinker Bell was dying. Peter had to get Jane to believe in fairies or else he wouldn't be able to save Tink.

Trying to find her way home Jane had run into Caption Hook who told her he was trying to get home as well, but in order to do that he had to get his treasure back from Peter first. Jane agreed to help him get his treasure from Peter as long as he promised not to harm anybody.

"His exact words were, 'I swear not to harm a single hair on his head'." Mrs. Nickelson added, "Of course he was speaking of Peter."

And Jane trusted his word, she found Peter and he invited her to become a part of the Lost Boys… well that she could be the first Lost Girl. And Jane excepted.

In celebration Jane suggested that they play a game, treasure hunting. During the hunt Jane realized that she didn't want to help Hook and threw out his whistle just as she found the treasure.

But to her dismay one of the Lost Boys found the whistle and gave it a toot, summoning Hook's mates instantly. Hook appeared and captured them all. Jane objected when he began to harm Peter but he contradicted her.

" "Ahh, but my dear!" he said, " I only promised not to harm a SINGLE hair on his head. As a matter of fact, here, you can hold on to it for me."" Mrs. Nickelson quoted Caption Hook.

"How lame!" Tonya exclaimed. "I can't believe Jane fell for that!"

Mrs. Nickelson ignored Tonya's interruption and continued her story.

All of the boys were kidnapped and taking upon the Jolly Roger, large chains with heavy balls on the ends were tied to their feet so they couldn't fly away. Jane ran back to Peter's hidden house to find Tinker Bell to help her.

But Tinker Bell was dead by time Jane got there. She had killed Tinker Bell and now because of her Peter Pan was going to die as well. Jane cried and whispered, "I'm sorry Tink. I really am. I do believe in fairies. I do. I do!" and as a single tear rolled down her face and landed on Tinker Bell's rigid body she suddenly came back to life.

Her light flooded back in a rush of color and Jane quickly filled her in, together they came up with a plan to save Peter and the Boys. All Jane had to do was fly.

After saving the day Jane went home and had plenty of stories to tell her younger brother about Peter Pan and his adventures in Never Land.

"So Jane didn't bother asking Peter to grow up with her for he had taught her how to stay young forever more," finished Mrs. Nickelson.

"And what about your adventures in Never Land, Mrs. Nickelson?" I asked politely. My head was buzzing happily from her story telling. I couldn't wait for more!

"My story is quite different from the other two." Mrs. Nickelson said. "For my story was full of romance, but also full of terror. Peter had finally gotten rid of Caption Hook, but I saw the rise of something else, something much more evil."

So Mrs. Margaret Wendy Angela Marie Nickelson told us of her tale of Never Land and the rise of the evil. When Peter came and took her away to never land she didn't fall in love with Peter, but one of his lost Boys, Nick. She had spent much of her time with him instead of Peter. This depressed Peter, for the daughters of Wendy and her granddaughters were supposed to explore Never Land with him. He had promised that to Wendy.

But Margaret had thought of Peter as an arrogant, spoiled boy and didn't want anything to do with him. Peter became jealous of Nick, not because he liked Margaret, but because he didn't receive the attention from her he thought he deserved.

In order to get rid of Nick Tinker Bell (with out Peter knowing) had gathered her Pixie Friends and together they tried to bring to Caption Hook back to life to do their bidding. But when he did come back he only wanted to kill Peter Pan.

In order to save Peter Pan and the Lost Boys Margaret had to get rid of the dead Hook by finding both the ticking crocodile and the suction cup octopus along with another creature willing to eat him. Bringing the three of them together to create the ultimate Hook fighters.

The creatures had succeeded, but there was a chance that Hook could come back, stronger than ever and destroy the whole Never Land. Frightened for the people and fairies of Never Land Margaret had tried to persuade them all to come and live with her or her neighbors. All of the Lost Boys agreed again and some of the Indians, bears and fairies came back to live with her.

Later, after they had all grown up, Margaret and Nick (who had gone to live with a neighbor three housed down) got married. They later had three children.

"And of course we named them, Tonya, Nancy and Karen." Mrs. Nickelson was finished with all three of her stories.

All of the cookies were gone along with the hot chocolate. I was impressed. I had heard stories about the Never Land, never anything about Peter Pan, but I never thought they could be real. But here was the proof, walking in the room from the den.

"Daddy?" Nancy asked glancing at her father. "Did you really live in Never Land as one of Peter's Lost Boys?"

Nick chuckled. "You bet! I had a great time there. Maybe I should tell you guys the story of how I became a Lost Boy."

"No thanks, Dad." Tonya said. "It's all rubbish! None of it's true!"

"Is that so?" Her father asked, face darkening. "How do you figure I came about, your three step-uncles or your great-great step-uncles then?"

"I don't know. But there has to be a more reasonable, grown up answer than Never Land." Tonya replied. "I'm not a baby anymore. You can tell me the truth."

"Sometimes growing up requires believing in what is real, even if it seems impossible." Her father answered shaking his head. "You think you're so grown up, Tonya, when in reality you have so far to go."

Tonya angrily stood up, dumping her mug onto the tray and stomping up the stairs. As she reached her room she slammed the door shut.

"You mustn't treat her that way, Nick." Mrs. Nickelson said quietly.

"We can't let her run the house hold and forget her place. She knows I tell her the truth," Mr. Nickelson looked downcast.

"Yes, she knows that very well, it's just that she got teased a lot on the first day of school, dear."

"Ohmigosh," I whispered.

**Author's Notes:** I hope you enjoyed this. I'm sorry that the introduction had to be so boring. I bet plenty of you Pan Fans have seen that movie so many times that it's basic memorization and now completely boring to have to read through that. I'm sorry. But for the most part it will get better! Please Review! This is my first Peter Pan fic!

Other stories of mine 

The Boy Who Lived, Loved and Saved-Not Only the Wizarding World, But the Muggle One as Well (Harry Potter Fic)

Hogwarts, A Mystery (Harry Potter Fic) **one shot**

Hay-lee and Tira (Inheritance Trilogy Eragon, Eldest, & Empire Fic) **co-authoring with Luna32, story can be found under her account**

Gohan and Videl Go to Hogwarts (Harry Potter/DBZ cross over) **co-authoring with Sciencegirl92, story can be found under her account**

**Please R&R and ENJOY!**


	2. Loonies

**Peter Pan **

**A Young Boy No More**

**Disclaimer**: My name is not Sir James Matthew Barrie, there for I do not own Peter Pan. Any questions?

**Author's Notes: **OK, I'd like to thank Mea.Rose forher review! You are the best! Here is chapter two. I hope this one is better than the first and that you enjoy it! Warning: Kind of depressing and sad.

**Chapter 2- Loonies**

Suddenly I remembered what had happened on the first day of kindergarten. It came back, completely flooding my mind as the flash back took over.

**--- Beginning of flash back ---**

Standing in front of the classroom our teacher was giving us our assigned seats. She would call out a name but before telling you where to sit she would make you tell the class something interesting about your family.

"It'll be a good way for us all to get to know each other better!" she had exclaimed cheerfully.

The first name she had called was Ginny White; "We own a dog!"

Mitchell Linden, " I have eight brothers and one sister."

Jamie Hunter, " My family is from America."

I was next; "I only have a Daddy."

Then she called Tonya Nickelson; "My Daddy was one of Peter Pan's Lost Boys from Never Land."

"Are you sure that's what you want to tell people, dear?" our teacher had asked.

"Yes! I want everybody to know how famous my Daddy is! Not many people can say they were a Lost Boy!" Tonya had replied happily.

"Not many want to either!" replied Mitchell.

"Why wouldn't they?" Tonya asked, her face contorting into one of disbelief.

"No many people like to admit they're crazy, ya know?" Mitchell replied.

"What do you mean?" Tonya asked, her face showing her confusion plainly.

"Now class," our teacher had said.

"You're whole family is full of loonies!" Ginny explained. "I mean your father thinks he's from Never Land, your mother thinks she met a boy named Peter Pan and it stretches all the way back to your great-grandmother!"

"Yeah, and now you've proven that you're just as loony as the rest of them!" Mitchell said with an evil laugh. For some reason unknown to me the rest of the class had started laughing with him.

Tonya had begun to cry and I got up from my seat and sat beside her. "Tell me about the Lost Boys and Peter Pan, Tonya." I had asked.

But she just shook her head and continued crying. The teacher simply went on with her work calling names like Raquel, Nathaniel or Pat. I tried to comfort her the best I could; yet I guess it wasn't enough.

**---End of flash back ---**

I helped Mr. and Mrs. Nickelson clean up the mess and headed up to bed. When I approached the door to Tonya's room I knocked and got no answer. So I went to the bathroom and brushed my teeth, got into my pajamas and re-brushed my hair.

Upon trying to enter the room again Tonya called, "You can only enter if you are my best friend. If you are truly my best friend than you are a mature, grown up twelve year old."

I entered the room and crawled into the spare bed. Tonya had her back to me the whole time and didn't bother to say good night. My flash back made me understand what I should have said long ago.

"Tonya, you're not a loony."

All I heard after that were her fake snores. She must not have known how to respond to my comment. I simply rolled over and fell asleep.

In my dream Peter Pan came to prove to Tonya that he was real. He was handsome and fun loving. We didn't go to Never Land; we just sat there and told stories to one another. In my dream Tonya was actually enjoying herself. I was beginning to wonder if she had ever done so before.

I woke up once in the middle of the night. Looking around the room with sleepy eyes I couldn't see anything that was out of place or moving. Something out the window caught my eye.

I saw a shadow of a young boy. Laughing to myself I remembered how Peter had lost his shadow in this very house. My laugh was soft and didn't wake Tonya. I was easily able to roll over and go back to sleep.

In the morning I woke to find Tonya sitting on the end of my bed. When she noticed I was awake she smiled at me.

"Jess, I'm sorry about last night." She said quietly.

"I remember the tip of the iceberg," I replied. "Other people's teasing has turned you hard. There is no reason to apologize to me. Maybe to your parents though. You basically called them loonies."

"You know," Her voice was still quiet. "I had seriously thought that my family was a loony bin after all that teasing. Jess, you can see why I have to pretend not to believe in Never Land, right?"

"At school maybe," I said shaking my head. "But not here at home. Your parents don't lie to you about anything else, so why would they lie about your dad being a Lost Boy or your mum meeting Peter Pan?"

Tonya looked up at me, "You believe them and their stories, don't you?"

"Yeah, I mean they have no reason to lie."

"But they're crazy." Tonya muttered. "It's not just the stories of Never Land. The things people have teased me about."

"You know your family best. Do they look or act like loonies to you?"

Tonya thought for a minute. "No, for the most part anyway."

I laughed. "For the most part we are all a little loony!"

Tonya laughed too. After a while we both stopped laughing and Tonya whispered, "You were the only one who ever believed me. It's nice to know that at least someone out there doesn't think I'm crazy."

"There's bound to be more than just me."

"But everybody laughs, everyone except you."

I thought for a minute. _Why _did_ other people laugh at Tonya?_

"They only laugh at you because they're afraid of being laughed at for sticking up for you."

"Why didn't you laugh then?"

I smiled. "I didn't need to. What they said didn't make any sense to me. I didn't need to. I had problems of my own then. That was the year my mum died."

Tonya stared at me. I felt her hug me tight and whisper something, but it didn't stop the flashbacks.

**--- Beginning of Flashback ---**

"Daddy? Why didn't Mummy come home from her trip to America?" I had asked. "Wasn't she supposed to be to be home yesterday?"

"Jessica," My father's face had been contorted into such a face of pain that it was scary. "You have to understand."

"Understand what, Daddy?" I was totally confused.

"You mother isn't coming back." I saw tears well up in his eyes.

"Why not?" I began sobbing out of confusion and terror. "Did she stop loving me?"

"No, baby." He said hugging me. "Your mother loved you very much."

I hugged my him back. "Then why isn't she coming home."

Looking up at my father, I saw tears streaming down his face. I was scared silly. Daddy was crying.

Daddy never cried.

"Daddy?" I dried one of his tears with my finger. "Daddy why are you crying."

"Jessica, do you remember how Mummy got to America?"

I thought long and hard. I could remember driving in a car. It was yellow. "A taxi cab?" I had asked proudly.

Daddy smiled through his tears. "No, Jessica. We used that to get to the airport though."

"Oh." Suddenly the memory of getting out of the cab filled my mind.

**--- Flashback of my Mother's last words to me ---**

(A/N: this is a flashback inside a flashback)

"Mummy? Why can't I go with you?" tears where streaking down my face.

"You can't, sweetie. This is a business trip. I'll be back in two weeks."

"Promise?" I had asked.

She nodded. "I promise."

"So you're not leaving me, Mummy?"

She picked me up and hugged me tight. "I could never leave, you baby. I love you with all of my heart. I would die if I tried to live longer than I have to without you!"

I was still crying and like any five year-old I was clinging onto my mother. She held me like that until they called her flight. Then she sat be back down on the ground and walked me to the large window.

"See that big plane, Jesse?" she said pointing to the largest thing I had ever seen.

"That gray thing?" I had asked. "It looks like a monster."

She smiled. "Yes. That's called a plane, not a monster. I'm leaving on that. I'll be back two weeks from now. How many day's are in a week, Jesse?"

"Ummm, six?"

Mummy had smiled then. "One more than that. So how many days in a week, baby?"

I began counting on my fingers. "Seven!" I was so proud of myself at that moment. Mummy had been too. I saw it on her face, plain as day.

"All right, now count with me. How many days are in two week?"

She help up her fingers as I counted.

"One, two, three, four, five, six… seven," I had counted the fingers she had held up.

"Now you hold up seven, Jesse."

I did. We counted them together. I had gotten stuck at twelve.

"See? I'll be home in fourteen days."

"I won't be able to count it on my own." I had said disappointed.

"You can borrow your father's fingers, Jesse." My mother had always called me Jesse. "I have to go now, love. Give me kisses."

I gave her a kiss on the cheek and she gave me one on my forehead. I began crying again as she walked to the air gate. She was leaving me.

But she promised to be back.

That was the last time I saw her. Her chocolate brown curls had been highlighted by the sunlight. She had walked tall and proud, head held high. Turning around once more she waved goodbye to my father and me, blowing a kisses.

**--- End of My Mother's Last Words Flash Back ---**

"She got on an air-o-plane." I said.

"Right, Jess. An airplane. You're such a smart little girl." Daddy was still crying and now I was too.

"Daddy she promised she would come back."

"I know, Jess."

"THAN WHY DIDN'T SHE?" I had shouted.

"The airplane from America, Jessica. It never made it."

"Did it leave America?"

"Yes." Daddy was sobbing as much as me now.

I still didn't get it. If the airplane had left America, but wasn't here yet, where was it?

"Is the plane late, Daddy?"

"No, Jessica." Daddy looked tired. "That plane isn't coming home, and neither is your mother."

"Why, Daddy?"

"The plane crashed along the Atlantic Ocean. You remember that was the big body of water Mummy had to cross?"

I nodded.

"Mummy drowned in the crash."

"But Mummy could swim. She taught ME how to swim. Remember, Daddy?"

"I know pumpkin, but the ocean is too big to swim in. Mummy isn't coming home because she is dead."

**--- End of Flashback ---**

Suddenly I was back in Tonya's arms, crying my eyes out. At twelve my mother's death still haunted me. For a long time I was convinced that it had been my fault she had died. She had said something about not being able to live without me.

I felt for the longest time that I should have been on that flight with her. Then she wouldn't have died. Or at least I would have died with her.

I had NEVER shared that with anyone. Not even the school councilors or psychologists daddy had taken me to. The Nickelsons knew what had happened though. Daddy had explained it to them.

"Hey, Jess. It's OK," Tonya said soothingly. She was still holding me, gently patting my back.

I wanted to shout, "How would you know? You've never lost your mother! You DON'T know how I feel." But I couldn't. She was my only friend who knew the truth. She was the only one who cared.

I sniffled. "Hey, how did we turn this conversation to one of my problems?" I asked pulling away as I dried my tears on my sleeve.

Tonya smiled, "You reminded me once again that I wasn't the only one with family problems."

I cocked my head. Tonya often said stuff like that to me. I didn't quite understand it though. I couldn't see how my problem helped her to get over hers.

"Come on." She said taking my hand. "We should go join Mum and Dad for breakfast. I promise I'll apologize. Maybe than you can stay longer than three."

I smiled and followed her down the stairs. It felt good to have a best friend, even if they forced you to grow up faster than you wanted to at times.

**Author's Notes:** Well? Did you like this chapter better? It's not all summaries of already written stories! This chapter makes Tonya seem like she only pities Jessica, but I promise you, they're the best of friends! Mea.Rose made the comment that Tonya seemed to act like a brat, but it's all a conflict of morals and values. She really is a sweet girl, but whether you see that or not I don't know! What are you doing trying to get a sneak-peek at the next chapter? If you like it that much REVIEW already! Lol. Please?


	3. Miss Daisy

**Peter Pan**

**A Young Boy No More **

**Disclaimer**: I do not have a clipped British accent, there for I don't think I could have written Peter Pan, because I'm sure that Sir James Matthew Barrie had a British Accent. I mean he lived in England somewhere, right?

**Author's Notes: **Sorry for my disclaimer, normally I have boring ones that are the same for every chapter. But someone -cough Luna32 cough and Sciencegirl92 cough achhheeemm… Sorry about that! -Told me I should spice them up a bit. Lol thanks for the reviews guys! Mea.Rose and Luna32.

**Chapter 3- Miss Daisy**

I still had to leave at three. The Nickelson's would have let me stay- heck, they would have let me live there permanently- but my dad had another girl friend he wanted me to meet. So I had to go home.

I really didn't want to go. I could have thrown a fit, but I had learned from past experiences that they weren't the best things in the world to do. My fits always made dad angry or his dates antsy.

Plus I was at Tonya's. Tonya thinks I should be a mature twelve-year-old. So to her standards kicking and screaming is below her. You just don't argue with her ideals. I learned that at a young age as well.

I had to change into my Sunday best for this meeting. Dad kept talking about her as if she were a saint or something. It was seriously annoying; daddy shouldn't be talking about any woman like that unless it was mummy.

We were going to a really fancy restaurant. Daddy really must have thought that this lady was something special because he was going all out to impress her. I even got a lecture about good manners and being nice to our guest.

When we got to the restaurant I looked around and tried to find the lady daddy was taking me to meet. Her name was Daisy and she liked to eat healthy.

Great.

Daddy's last girl friend liked to eat nothing but junk food and hated kids. He reassured me over and over again that Daisy liked children. Yet she worked in a law firm, far, far away from children.

_Imagine that! _I thought sarcastically.

My dad led me to a table towards the back. We had to walk up two steps before we reached a table with three candles sitting in the middle. There talking to the waiter was a lady close to my father's age, all dressed in yellow.

She had long blonde hair and blue eyes. Her face was slender like the rest of her. She was beautiful, but to me, something about her beauty was venomous.

My father must not have seen it for he walked up to her and took her hand in his. Brining her newly manicured hand up to his face he brushed his lips against the back of her hand.

She smiled at his gesture. And answered, "Hello, Charles, dear."

"Daisy, you're as lovely as ever. How are you this fine evening, my dear lady?"

My father's words made me sick to my stomach. How could he expect me to eat after speaking like that to a woman in front of me?

"Fine, Charles, and who is this lovely young lady?"

"This is my daughter, Jessica. You remember me telling you about her?" He pulled her chair out for her and she sat down.

"Yes." She turned her ice blue eyes on me. "Hello, Jessica, dear. I've heard so much about you. Do you know who I am, sweet heart?"

Who was she to call me sweet heart?

I pretended not to notice her question. "Daddy, may I have my menu please?" I asked as I sat down in my chair.

Daisy took my chin in her hands tightly, forcing me to look her in the eye. "I asked a question of you, Jessica. Not answering wasn't very lady like of you. Try again."

I looked at her with hatred in my eyes. Who was she to speak to me like that?

"Jessica." My father's voice had become steely.

"Father mentioned you had a name. I do believe it was Daisy Flare." I replied in a sweet voice that was dripping with rudeness.

Daisy looked to my father. "You were quite right when you said you thought she needed a womanly figure in the house, Charles."

I pretended to gag behind their backs. Under no circumstances was she about to be my new mother.

She turned back to me, taking my chin again, but this time I could smell her flower perfume and see the whites of her teeth. "You will address me as Miss Daisy. Is that clear, sweet heart?"

My father could not have been watching. He had never let any of his other girl friends do something like this. I was horrified.

I allowed no emotion to escape me. "Yes, Miss Daisy."

I could taste bile in my mouth. I was going to find pleasure in getting rid of her, because she just couldn't stay.

"Good." She said pleasantly.

A couple of minutes later the waiter came and asked us what it was we wanted.

"We'll all take the salmon platter, small sized please, Sir." And so Miss Daisy ordered our food for us. I feel the need to make one thing clear.

I hate fish.

So for the remainder of my meal I continually stabbed the stupid piece of shit the poor salmon had been made into. I stabbed it every time my dad told a lame joke and Miss Daisy laughed. I stabbed it every time she made a comment on my state. I stabbed it every time she began to speak of the future.

God I hate Miss Daisy. I had to get ride of her and soon. I couldn't wait to get home and call Tonya. She'd help me for sure!

**Author's Notes: **Here ya go Miss Luna32, the shortest chapter I've ever written. I hope all of you enjoyed it. I'd appreciate reviews please everyone!


	4. Telephone Calls, Plans and a Cold Night

**Peter Pan **

**A Young Boy No More**

**Disclaimer**: I am NOT male and the last time someone cared to check SIR James Matthew Barrie was… whether you take their word for it or not…

**Author's Notes:** OK! Special shout out to Luna32 and Simply Marvy! Thanks so much! You guys who review are the best! The rest of you, slap to the wrist, shame on you! It doesn't take that long to review!

**Chapter 4- Telephone Calls, Plans, and a Cold Night**

That night Miss Daisy came home with us. She and daddy sat down in the living room and began watching some stupid romance movie. I normally would have enjoyed it.

But little Miss Daisy seemed to think that being in the dark meant that little kisses and such would go unnoticed. I thought that I would either throw up on her or beat her to death.

Plus every time I tried to leave the room she would look up from her kisses to daddy and ask me where I thought I was going. Sitting and watching this was my punishment for not eating any dinner.

And was I headed into the kitchen? At seven o'clock at night?

Heaven forbid!

I got up to leave again. I was going to get out of here before I was sent to a child care facility. I meant it. I was about to claw her to death.

"Where are you going, Jessica, darling?" Miss Daisy asked sweetly.

"I'm going to the bathroom."

"You have five minutes. I want to see you back here, I'm timing you."

"Dad!" I gasped. "She's timing me in the bathroom! That's just WRONG!"

"Oh, daddy, the world is unfair. Fix it for me." Miss Daisy said mimicking me. She had these stupid puppy dog eyes.

Ooooh, I was gonna kill her! "Daddy!"

"Daddy!" she copied me.

"Ahhhh!" I screamed.

"Jessica, if you have to go to the bathroom then go. But I expect you to come and sit this out." My father said.

How dare he side with her! That was it. I was gonna show them.

"Miss Daisy. I don't feel so well. I think I'm running a fever."

"Oh, come here, baby."

Baby? Grrr, she was gonna get it!

She put her hand up to my forehead. I smiled weakly and tried to look as sick as possible. It wasn't that hard… imagine that!

"I don't know, but my hands are warm." She put her cheek to my forehead.

I made myself thing of all that happened today. Her taking my chin and demanding I call her Miss Daisy, her ordering my food, it was FISH, her coming home with us, her kissing daddy, her timing me in the BATHROOM, her TOUCHING me. I could taste the bile again instantly.

But instead of swallowing it, this time I let it rush out of my mouth, all over little Miss Daisy's new yellow dress. I fought for my breath as my last meal (lunch with the Nickelsons) came up and permanently stained her dress.

Gasping for breath I starred at my masterpiece. Standing before me was a very distressed and grossed out Miss Daisy. Her blonde hair and yellow dress were covered in chunks of Spaghetti-O's. I tried not to smile as I noticed that I had also managed to get some on her pretty little shoes.

"Ohmigosh!" I muttered pretending to be horrified. "I-I…"

I gave what I hoped to be an involuntary dry heave and watched with satisfaction as Miss Daisy backed away quickly.

"Daddy," I whispered closing my eyes to stop myself from seeing her face and burst out laughing at the sight of her.

"Jessica, Jess are you OK?" He stood up instantly and was by my side.

This seemed to make Miss Daisy mad. "Don't baby her, Charles!"

"I'm not babying her. She's sick." He said firmly. "Jess, go upstairs and wash up. Then you can go to bed. I'll be up to check on you later."

I nodded. Score! Jessica Liteman, one. Miss Daisy Flare, too many to count… but I was catching up! I was bound and determined to make her life a living hell. She would pay the price for those kisses.

She was going to leave this house kicking and screaming. I guarantee it.

Walking up the stairs to my room I hear Miss Daisy and daddy talking. Miss Daisy's voice was loud and angry. I smiled.

But as her voice drifted up to me my smile left my face. "I don't care if she is sick! Young ladies do NOT vomit on their role models. I think she should be punished."

"Daisy, don't you think that's a little harsh? I mean she's sick. I'm sure she didn't mean to."

_You go Dad!_ I thought.

"She did NOT do that on accident! Didn't you see her smile of pleasure?"

"No. I say her pale face looking rather green." My father said. "Listen, Daisy. I really like you. Maybe you should go home and take a shower, get yourself cleaned up and we can go somewhere tomorrow."

She didn't sound happy. "All right, darling. I'll see you tomorrow. At noon? I'll stop by."

I was planning to be long gone by then. I stepped into my bathroom and took my shower. The water was refreshing and seemed to wash away the poison Miss Daisy seemed to leave behind.

I climbed into bed as daddy knocked on my door. I quickly put on a sick face and said, "Who is it?"

"It's me, Pumpkin." He opened the door and stepped in. Walking over to my bed he asked, "Are you all right?"

I nodded. "I think it was the fish I had for supper, daddy."

"I'm sorry, baby. I should have told Daisy that you don't like fish."

I just stared at him.

He looked back at me and said, "I'm not sure what it was, but you and Daisy didn't seem to get along. I'm sure you'll like each other tomorrow. Please try to get to know her, Jess. She really is a nice woman."

I snorted.

"Jessica." My father said. "I told Daisy off for calling you rude. Don't prove me wrong."

"I'm sorry, Daddy. I just don't feel good." He wouldn't understand if I told him the truth anyway.

"Goodnight, Pumpkin. Hope you feel better in the morning." He kissed me on the forehead and left my room.

As soon as he turned off the light and shut the door I flicked on my flashlight. I reached underneath my bed and felt for the telephone I knew was there. I had a phone jack in my room and one day with my allowance I had bought a phone. OK, so I had to save up for a while, but dad never found out.

I also pulled out a bag of pretzels and sour candy. I needed to eat! I mean my last meal was now all over Miss Daisy, and no longer in my stomach.

I dialed Tonya's phone number. The time was seven forty-five. Nervousness began to gnaw on my empty stomach as the phone on the other end began to ring. If Tonya didn't answer than I was sure to get into trouble with her parents.

Some one picked up and relief flooded through me as I recognized Tonya's voice. "Hello?"

"Hey, Tonya. It's me, Jess. We have a MAJOR mission ahead of us. You up for the ultimate challenge?" I whispered so my father wouldn't hear me.

"What's her name?" Tonya asked completely serious.

"Miss Daisy Flare." I replied.

"Miss?" Tonya sounded both surprised and horrified at the same time.

"Yeah, and this one has my dad wrapped around her newly manicured little finger!" I replied grimly.

"So it's gonna be a little harder that before to get rid of her."

Had Tonya been standing before me I would have just stared at her. As it was we were speaking over the phone.

"A little?" I asked as I began to describe to her how hellish my day had been.

At the end of my tale Tonya said, "That's bad, Jess. Especially if your dad likes her so much."

"What're we going to do?" I asked desperately.

"I don't know, but that bit about you throwing up on her was hilarious." Tonya said.

"It wasn't baby-ish?" I asked surprised.

"No," she said with a laugh. "It was sneaky. Our whole plan should be set up that way! We have to find good ways to pit your dad against her while driving her insane! When's the next time you'll see her?"

"Tomorrow at noon." I replied.

"Ask your dad tomorrow if I can come over." Tonya said. "I mean it shouldn't bother Miss Daisy because she just _loves_ children."

I laughed. "OK, see you tomorrow at eleven thirty, Tonya."

I hung up the phone feeling better about today. Miss Daisy most definitely spoiled it, but my secret rebellion made the day bearable.

I stuffed everything back under my large four poster bed and curled up in the middle. I turned off the flashlight and closed my eyes waiting for sleep to take over my consciousness.

During the night I felt a cold chill come over me, as if someone had opened my window. I rolled over and pulled the covers over my ears. I was instantly engulfed by sleep once more...

Until I felt a breeze across my face. Opening one lazy eye slowly I couldn't tell what was before me at first. It looked like a large lump of blankets and pillows…

Until it blinked. And then I noticed that it was BREATHING on me. I would have screamed as it's brilliant green eyes blinked at me once more, but I was frozen out of terror.

I reached out with a hand to touch what ever it was in front of me. A cold hand met mine halfway. I shivered at its touch.

"W-who who are you?" I asked.

I didn't get a reply.

I could hear the person's teeth chattering. I wrapped my fingers around theirs. Again I shivered at the person's touch, but this time it wasn't because he was cold.

Finally able to move again I took my covers in my free hand and threw them over the person beside me. I didn't know who it was, but I had an idea. He was closer to my lamp, so I'd just have to wait until morning to check.

Closing my eyes once more I heard a faint tinkle coming from the other side of the mysterious person. I fell asleep smiling once more.

**Author's Notes:** OK that was a good chapter! I really like it! Guys, please I don't want ANY sick comments about the last bit. They're TWELVE for god's sake! OK. Now you can review! By the way, is this long enough and not too boring, Luna?


	5. Noon Madness

**Peter Pan**

** A Young Boy No More**

**Disclaimer**: I was not knighted in England EVER, but the person who wrote Peter Pan was, hence his name, SIR James Matthew Barrie. Oh, and I'm not sure who owns those Easy Bake Ovens… I just know it's not me 'cuz I can't cook for crap…

**Author's Notes:** Special thanks go out to the following: Luna32, Original Screenname and sasukeandrockleelvr! You guys are the best! FUN FACT: there was an explorer by the name of Captain James Cook… sound familiar anyone?

**Chapter 5- Noon Madness**

I awoke the next day. As I lazily rubbed the sleep from my eyes I noticed that I was the only one in my bed. As a matter of fact, it even looked like I was the only one who had slept in my bed. I thought that maybe I had been dreaming.

Yeah, that's all it was. A dream.

I pulled the sheets back and noticed that they looked somewhat dirty. Swinging my feet to the ground I noticed leaves of all kinds on the floor, different from the ones on the trees outside my window I noted. While making this observation I also noticed that my window was open.

Okay, so maybe it wasn't a dream…

Who had been in my bed last night? Where they male or female? What did they want? And why didn't they answer me?

Tonya would have said I was crazy, as a matter of fact almost everybody would have said I was crazy. I stood up and walked to my window. Sitting on the ledge was a single acorn.

_Peter Pan's Kiss! _I thought closing the window. I thought of putting it on a chain, but then again that would be copying Wendy, so instead I put it on a ribbon and tied it around my wrist.

So it had actually been Peter last night. Why hadn't he answered me? Was he confused? I mean I lived next to Tonya, but Wendy was his true love and surly he wouldn't forget where her house was!

_Why me?_

That thought rang through my head as I got dressed and headed down to breakfast. Dad was making bacon and eggs. It smelled really good.

"Are you felling better this morning, Jessica?" My father asked, waking me from my revere.

I choked on my orange juice. I had forgotten all about "being sick" last night. "A little better."

I managed to say. My voice came out croaky, making what I had said sound believable.

"Think you can hold down some eggs'n'bacon?"

"I hope so," I said. "They smell too good to pass up."

"Daisy said she was going to make you chicken soup for lunch. Isn't that sweet, Jessica?"

"With poison in it?" I asked.

"What?" My dad asked non-rudely.

"I asked if Tonya could come over today around eleven." I covered.

"Jess, you know Daisy was coming over today at noon. Do you really think it would be a good idea to have a guest of your own over?"

"I-I thought she liked children, Daddy. I'm sorry." Oh, I was so not sorry.

"She does like children, Jess, I just wanted you two to bond first."

Gag, gag, gag! I was going to bond with _Miss_ Daisy like water and oil mix oh so cheerfully.

I must have had a depressed look on my face because daddy said, "Tonya can come over if you promise to behave and get along with Daisy."

Oh crap! Oh crap! Oh crap!

What was I going to do? Tonya had to come over and I couldn't break a promise to my father!

"Of course I'll get along with her, daddy. I mean it's not as if I haven't been trying to make her mad or anything."

This little promise could work to my advantage, plus Tonya doesn't have to be nice!

"I'm sure you didn't, Pumpkin." Daddy said sitting the plate of eggs and bacon in front of me.

After I finished eating I called Tonya using the main phone.

"Hello, Mrs. Nickelson. This is Jessica; may I speak to Tonya please?"

"Of course, dear. Tonya!" Mrs. Nickelson put the phone down and her voice became hard to understand.

I don't know what daddy was thinking. I didn't need a role model. I already had one. Mrs. Nickelson treated me like a daughter, and I could go to her with any problem. I didn't need a new mother.

Meaning I didn't need Miss Daisy.

"Hey, Jess! What's up?" Tonya asked causally.

"How would you like to come over to my house around eleven?" I asked nonchalantly.

"Hang on, let me ask my mom." Again the voice on the other end of the phone became distant and non-important.

This brief pause in our conversation left room for thought… which was still on my mysterious visitor from last night.

_Had it really been Peter? _I asked myself. _Why would Peter come to _my _house? Why not go to Tonya's? Was he in trouble?_

I fingered the acorn around my wrist. The most exciting thought swimming through my head forced its way into my conscious thoughts.

_Will he come back tonight?_

"Hello? Jessica? I said I couldn't come at eleven, but I can be there by eleven thirty." Tonya's words broke my thoughts. "You still there, Jess?"

"You mean mentally or physically?" I asked coming to my senses.

"I'd prefer both." She replied with a laugh.

"I am now." I said. "I'll see you at eleven thirty then."

Until then I had a job to do. I hung up the phone and ran upstairs. I entered my room and headed straight for my closet. I grabbed all of the clothes on the bottom of the floor and some off the hangers.

I began strewing it all around my room. Draping it on the back of chairs, bedposts, the corners of my desk and other such places as if it were simply Christmas decorations. I made sure to hang underwear on the door handle; both sides so Miss Daisy would have to touch it in order to enter my room.

Next I dived under my bed. As I did so my force caused everything under my bed out in a mad rush. Dolls, blocks, puzzle pieces and lots of other toys such as tops and paper were sent spinning about. I made sure to keep my phone and store of junk food hidden, but everything else was going to become floor décor.

As soon as that was done I went into my bathroom and grabbed the tube of toothpaste. I was so happy about this part. I love toothpaste. It's fun to use as glue…

I walked to the guest bathroom across the hall. Dad always used his and I, mine. Tonya was used to using mine as well, but Miss Daisy… she was about to get a butt full of toothpaste.

I opened the door and noticed that she had been in our house a time or two before last night. I was shocked. The bathroom was no longer boyish blue but bright pink. On the wall was a stupid picture that read "Bathroom sweet Bathroom". It was the lamest thing I had ever seen.

I was ready to hurl all over again. But I told Daddy that I was well enough to have Tonya over, so I'd just have to do what I had to.

"Hehehe!" I laughed evilly to myself. At least now I knew for sure that she was going to be using this bathroom today.

I lifted the toilet lid. The water was PINK, what the hell?

I took the cap off my toothpaste and laid the nozzle down on the toilet seat. I gave it a fairly good squeeze and smiled as I decorated the toilet seat like frosting a cake. As soon as I had used the whole tube around the seat, I placed the cover back on it and sat on it.

I heard the toothpaste squish out the sides. Standing up again I began to wipe the excess off with toilet paper, then sticking it around the base of the toilet. Ahhh yes, toothpaste makes perfect glue…

I smiled and walked out of the bathroom as the doorbell rang. Running down the stairs I called out, "I've got it, Daddy!"

Pulling the door open I saw Tonya standing on my porch. Smiling I said very loudly, "Hey, Tonya. Come on in! I made a gift for Miss Daisy and I want you to help me wrap it!"

Tonya gave me a funny look as she walked in. I laughed and added, "Follow me."

As we ran up the stairs we could hear my father mutter, "That's more like my Jessica, kind and considerate."

Tonya stopped at my door and stared at the handle. "What kind of gift did you get Miss Daisy?"

"Oh, I didn't get her anything. We're going to make her something." I swear my mischievous grin scared her. "Oh, and what ever you do, don't use the guest bathroom…" I added as an afterthought.

I opened my door and lead Tonya into my room. There sitting on the floor was my Easy Bake oven.

"So, we're playing the role of mad scientists today?" Tonya asked taking in my wonderfully messy room.

Dad didn't mind messes, but something told me Miss Daisy did!

We worked on our masterpiece until noon, and when Miss Daisy got here Daddy directed her up to my room. Tonya and I had to stifle our laughter as she came upon the door.

"Ahhh!" she shouted. "Echeem, I mean Jessica dear, are you in there?"

"Yes, Miss Daisy, dear."

"Could you open the door, for me?"

"Oh, but my hands are full, I've got a present for you!"

"I don't think the door is locked." Tonya added.

We heard her stifle a shriek as she opened the door.

"Oh, my, Jessica. You have a messy room. A young girl your age needs to be organized. After all organization is the key to success."

I snarled, there she went again. Telling me what I needed. I wiped the snarl off my face as Miss Daisy entered my room even farther.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I was looking for the spatula for my Easy Bake Oven." I replied sweetly.

"You see, Jess told me about all you had done for her last night when she wasn't feeling well and she felt horrid about throwing up on you, that she wanted to get you a gift."

"But Tonya here suggested that I make you something, for things made from the heart are better than gifts bought with money." I continued.

"So we decided to bake you a cake!" Tonya finished.

I began to walk towards her with the cake when I stumbled on the train I had purposely left in the center of my room, near the door. My coordination was perfect… or rather it was imperfect which led to perfection.

I tripped and our beautifully made cake landed right in Miss Daisy's perfectly ugly face. I landed at her feet and looking up at her I saw the cake slide off of her face, I mean it was better than watching comedy TV…

Her pale face was now red with anger and covered in toothpaste frosting, I mean she likes healthy stuff, right? And the food coloring was obviously going to stain her face forever yellow. But yellow was her favorite color, right?

"CHARLES!" She shouted as soon as she got over her sassy shock.

"Charles!" I mimicked quietly so only Tonya and Miss Daisy would hear, yet I matched her tone for tone.

"CHARLES COME AND SEE WHAT YOUR DAUGHTER AND HER LITTLE FRIEND HAVE DONE TO ME!"

"Charles come and see what your daughter and her little friend have done to me!"

"I am NOT little!" Tonya said and for a second I swore she was going to kick her in the shin.

"Oh, my dear you are a lot littler than you seem to think."

"I'm twelve, thank you very much. And I am much more mature than you!" Tonya spat in her face.

"My dear girl, mature adults do not spit in their elder's faces."

"Mature adults don't enjoy making a "little girl" miserable either." I said. "Yet you claim to be a mature lady."

"I'm going to have fun becoming your new mother, Jessica."

"FYI, you're NOT becoming my new mother."

"Don't be so sure of yourself, Jessica. Men don't like that. I shall become your new mother whether you like it or not."

"Over my dead body." I snarled.

"Be careful of what you threaten, it just might come back to bit you in the butt."

"Speaking of butts, the guest bathroom is right across the hall." I answered.

Miss Daisy turned on her heel and walked out of my room. She went into the bathroom and turned on the sink. She wetted her face and dried it off, cleaning the cake from her face. She turned back to us.

"Don't think your father won't hear of this." She said shutting the door.

I crossed my fingers and hoped she wouldn't look before sitting down.

Tonya saw me praying silently and gave me a questioning look. I simply shook my head and smiled.

Not even five seconds later we heard her screaming for the second time. I started laughing really hard.

**Author's Notes: **Ooookkkaaayyy! REVIEW my bestest buddies! I'll post the next chapter ASAP, but thanks to this horrid concept called Geometry my post might not be as soon as I'd like. Sorry. Hope you all enjoyed! **NOW REVIEW!**


	6. The Verdict

**Peter Pan **

**A Young Boy No More**

**Disclaimer**: Do I look dead to you? Didn't think so.

**Author's Notes:** You know what I hate (besides homework)? LAZY PEOPLE WHO DON'T REVIEW! You know what I love (besides geometry and Peter)? PEOPLE WHO REVIEW! Here's the list of the best people ever: Luna32, Saukeandrockleelvr, Original Screenname and Narnia Forever! Thank you guys ever so much! Truly you are the best! The rest of you… (Rae just shakes her head and leaves the room sighing… upon returning she types) you're HOPELESS!

**Chapter Six- The Verdict**

I knew I wasn't going to get away with the whole toilet seat. I mean what was I supposed to say? 'Um yeah, Dad, science experiment'? Or my personal favorite, 'What happened to looking before you sat?'

What I wasn't planning on getting into trouble for was all of it.

I mean the vomiting, the cake to the face, and the minty toilet seat.

Miss Daisy was pulling ahead once again. My father was furious. Tonya was sent home immediately. Dad was so mad that he couldn't even speak.

Miss Daisy was the one handing out the punishment. I was literally screwed. At the moment she had free rein of our house and she was dripping with toothpaste and an, oh so yummy cake.

Sitting on my bed I heard angry footsteps on the stairs. I stared at the door willing it to stay closed and repel all forces of evil (a.k.a. Miss Daisy or a very angry dad…).

But alas, I have much work to do when it comes to my psychic abilities. Highly considering I have NONE.

Miss Daisy flung my door open and began stomping about, shouting so loud that I couldn't understand her. "I-you-kill-Oomph!"

A bitter smile crossed my face as she stumbled on the mass of toys all over the floor. Standing up she now had bits of paper in her hair along with a couple of angry spiders and their webs.

I must admit, even though I was caught, I had done a good job of putting her through hell.

Suddenly she pointed one once perfectly manicured, now chipped and broken finger at me. "You aren't going to leave this room until you apologize to me."

She was smiling. Damn, she was making sense again. I was hoping she would remain a babbling idiot, but no.

"Guess I'll be here 'till I die, 'cuz I'll never apologize to a snot like you!"

"I figured your little friend, Tonya, would tell you to say something like that. And just because she did, I find her a bad influence on you. Meaning you need to stay away from her."

**Need. You need. I think you need. Need. You are a very needy child. Need.**

"I NEED NO ONE!" I shouted at her. Spit flying from my mouth landed on her face. 

She only smiled slyly. "Oh yes, you do dear. And the thing you need more than me is a boy. That way he can sweep you off your feet and take you FAR away from here."

**Need. What you need. I know what you need. You need me. You need a boy. You need. You need. You need. You need. You need. You need. You need. You need. **

"GET OUT OF MY ROOM!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. Suddenly my voice became calm and dangerous and I knew there was a dangerous glint in my eye as I picked up two or three blocks off the floor. "Now."

She smirked at me once more. "I already told you how much you hated her for all of the trouble she got you in. Believe me, girl. I did you a favor. I know what you need and it isn't her."

BIG MISTAKE.

I chucked block after block at her with such preseason and force that she staggered back and landed on her petite little ass. There were indents on her head from where the blocks had hit her. I smirked back at her as I bent down to pick up another item from the floor.

My fingers grasped the phone handle. I picked it up and raised it above my head and charged her.

**Need. You need. I know what you need. I'll tell you what you need. Need. Need. Need. Need. Jessica you need me to tell you what you need. You need me to destroy your life, Sweet Heart.**

Miss Daisy was at my feet, whimpering with fear and screaming something that made no sense to me. I smiled a smile of pure evil as I began to lower the phone to her head. She raised her hands up to block my blow.

I laughed. Silly slut, her arms where a merely another thing to crush in my mad state. I put all of my frustration into my blow and was happy to hear a delightful CRUNCH…

But it wasn't just Miss Daisy screaming.

I opened my eyes and saw my dad on the floor cradling his right arm. "God damnit, Jessica." He growled.

I simply stared. What the hell had I done?

I had hit my father…

I had hurt him…

"Daddy…" tears began to well up in my eyes. I had caused my dad major pain…

And it was all because of Miss Daisy.

"You are no daughter of mine." He replied.

Something snapped. I dropped the phone and the emotions took hold and I did nothing to hold them back. I fell to my knees, hands over my eyes crying so hard it hurt, only making me cry harder. I had now lost everything. I was an orphan, no mother, no father, and no one to love me.

I heard Miss Daisy say, "I'll go start up the car, Charles."

My father's reply was a grunt as he got up off the floor.

A couple of minutes later the car started and took off out of the driveway.

I took all of this in without processing it. They left and all I was able to do was cry. I wasn't even about to try to explain. He wouldn't understand. There was nothing I could do.

I kept crying.

I wasn't sure how much time had pasted, to me it seemed like three years, but finally I had stopped crying. It's not that I was feeling better, it was just that I had run out of tears to cry.

Staring out the window I noticed that it was dark out. In the sky were millions of stars, all twinkling brightly. I found myself beginning to wonder which one would lead me to Never Land.

Suddenly I spotted a shooting star. It was streaking through the sky at an amazing speed. Somehow it managed to still look to look beautiful. No, not beautiful, handsome.

Remembering from when I was younger that my mother had told me to always wish upon a shooting star. For when you did your wish would come true.

Keeping the star in my sight I said quietly, "I wish Peter would come again tonight and take me away to Never Land with him."

Turning without looking at the stars at all , I climbed into bed with my back facing the window and drifted off to sleep. Had I been facing the window I probably would have noticed that the shooting star had switched it's course and was now headed for my bed room window…

**Author's Notes: **You know something is wrong when you show up to school with a tail and the hot guy in your math class isn't even phased when you start talking in a British Accent… Darn it. Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. It was rather intense and please, pardon je Frances. I mean please pardon my French, or all of the rude words above. Lol. See ya all next chapter! NOW PLEASE REVIEW!


	7. Pixy Dust, Happy Thoughts and Faith

**Peter Pan**

**A Young Boy No More**

**Disclaimer**: If I had created Peter, then I had better not be drooling over the hot teenage guy in my grade… oh darn, guess Peter didn't spring from my mind to the pencil to paper to instant popularity. Shoot. Better go back to drooling!

**Author's Notes:** Thank Yous go to the following: Narnia Forever, Original Screenname, sasukeandrockleelvr, Gwen Gamgee, and Luna32. I'm so glad you guys reviewed, you make my day and encourage me to continue writing. Yay! Thank you!

**Chapter Seven-Pixy Dust, Happy Thoughts and Faith**

I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I remember was my window crashing open.

"Tink! I said to be quiet!" Came a young boy's voice.

He paused and then continued, "Sure, she allowed me to stay last night, but we're HIDING, and you hide QUIETLY!"

"Then I suggest you keep your voice down." I said groggily.

Turning to look at the mysterious boy I noticed that there was a shiny, white light he was talking to. And the strangest thing was that it kept making twinkling sounds back at him, almost as if were speaking to him in its own language.

Suddenly sleep left me and I gasped.

The boy looked over at me in the moonlight. "Please don't scream!"

He flew over to me and placed his hand over my mouth. His hand was cold and somewhat dirty, but there was something about his touch…

"Hook is after us, if he finds out we're here, we're all going to be in big trouble."

"You're-you're…" I stuttered. "Peter."

Just saying his name made me shiver and it wasn't because I was cold either, nor was I afraid. It was something else.

The boy smiled at me. He had a handsome face, tanned, as if kissed by the sun. He had brown hair that was bleached golden; again I figured it was a gift from the heavens. And his eyes were a brilliant green. Glowing as bright as the stars out side.

"That'd be me." He said. "But I seem to be at a disadvantage. You know my name, but I haven't a clue as to what yours is."

I blushed. Thankfully Peter couldn't see it in the dark, or at least, I hope he couldn't. "My name is Jessica."

I placed my hand out in front of me, expecting him to shake my hand. But instead he told my hand in his and bowed, gently brushing his lips against the back of my hand.

His action sent a chill down my spine and caused butterflies in my stomach. His touch…

Suddenly I remembered that my father had done that to Miss Daisy the other day when he had taken us out to eat so that we could meet each other. I gagged and pulled my hand away.

"What's wrong?" He asked sounding kind of insulted by my action.

"I don't feel well."

Why is that always my excuse?

"Oh, I'm sorry. Tink and I could find another place to hide."

"No! Don't go." Again I blushed. "I mean, where else will you hide?"

I heard a twinkle by the window and Peter turned to it and replied, "I'm sorry, Tink." Then to me he said, "How rude of me. Let me introduce you to my fairy, Tinker Bell. Tink this is Jessica, Jessica this is Tink."

"A real fairy?" I asked excitedly. "It's my pleasure to meet you, Tink. I've always wanted to meet a fairy!"

I curtsied to her and I heard a faint tinkle that sounded a bit like laughter.

"I think she likes you." Peter said coming up behind me and whispering in my ear. "Normally she hates any girl who looks as pretty as you. But I think she's grateful for your hospitality."

"Wow," I said sickened by his compliment. What, did he too assume I needed a man to take care of me, too? "That's a pretty big word for someone who's never liked school."

Again Peter recoiled. "I-I…"

What was I doing? Peter was the only one who could take me to Never Land! I couldn't be mean to him! After all, he was only being nice.

"Listen," he said. "I need a place to stay until Hook leaves-"

"I thought Hook was dead."

"He is. But Tink resurrected his ghost and it's looking for his body. Only me and Tink know where it's at so he's coming after us."

I nodded. That's why he couldn't go to Tonya's house. He WAS in trouble and Hook, spirit or human, would know it's way to Tonya's house. Suddenly I felt disappointed. Peter didn't like me. Fate was simply messing with my head.

"Can you take me to Never Land with you when you go in the morning?" I asked.

"Why?" Peter was suddenly suspicious.

"Because, I have nothing left here. Besides, growing up is overrated."

Peter nodded his head in agreement. "Sure. You're welcome to come with us, right, Tink?"

Tink tinkled again. Apparently Tinker Bell agreed because there was no further argument.

I sat down on the window ledge and curled up. "You're welcome to sleep in my bed." I said to Peter.

"Aren't you going to sleep in your bed?"

"I'm not tired."

"Okay, if you're sure. But you'll need your energy for the trip to Never Land."

NEED! That damned word was said in my presence, again. Plus it was directed at me. Oh boy, look out Peter.

"I don't NEED ANY-" I stopped dead word. Coming down our street was the unmistakable sound of my dad's Ferrari. "Oh, shit."

"What?" Peter asked, surprised by my vulgar language.

"My dad and Miss Daisy are coming. We have to leave. NOW!"

"But you don't know how to fly."

"Give me a little fairy dust and watch me!" I challenged.

"Tink?" Peter asked.

But miraculously Tink was already sharing some of her Pixy Dust with me. Instantly I felt my feet leave the floor. I began to soar through the air.

"Come on, Peter. We have to leave."

He just stared.

How was he supposed to help me get away from here if he just stood there? I was beginning to get frustrated. Fine. He could stay here and I would simply fly over to Tonya's.

As I flew out my window I heard Peter say something, I paid no attention to what it was. The cool night air felt good on my face. Thank goodness I wasn't wearing a nightgown… I was wearing a large T-shirt and shorts. Everything looked so much prettier from up above.

I came to Tonya's window and knocked on it.

Tonya came to the window, eyes wide, "Jessica? Are you flying?"

I smiled. "Yeah. Tink shared her Pixy Dust with me."

Tonya's face hardened. "Are you talking about Tinker Bell?"

"The one and only." I replied.

"Miss Daisy was right. You are off your rocker."

"Oh really? I'm not the one seeing her best friend flying out side of her window, am I?" I quipped.

Tonya glared at me. "You do hate me."

"Of course not."

"This is just a dream and-"

"JESSICA!" Peter's voice came from behind me and cut off Tonya's rant. "JESSICA! HOOK'S SPIRIT HAS FOUND US! FLY!"

Instantly I grabbed Tonya's hand and pulled her into the air with me. She was heavier than I could remember. We were sinking fast through the air towards the hard cement sidewalk below.

"Peter!" I cried. "Help me!"

Peter looked over his shoulder and saw us falling through the sky. He started to fly towards us.

Tink reached us first. She covered Tonya with her dust. But for some reason we were still falling.

"Jessica! You have to think happy thoughts!" Peter shouted at me.

Right, happy thoughts… umm… happy thought? What the hell were they?

"Jess! We're falling!" Tonya thought. "Remember something happy! Like your third birthday or something!"

I looked down a Tonya and noticed that she NEEDED me to think happy thoughts. Suddenly the image of Peter kissing the back of my hand flooded my mind. A couple of minutes later Tonya and I were floating next to Peter.

"It's nice to be flying, but can I got back home now?"

"Sur-" I began.

Suddenly this vial smell reached my nose. It was really gross, like decomposed body. I felt like vomiting when suddenly the cool air around us turned a bone chilling cold. I could hear an intense whining that sent more shivers up and down my spine.

I began looking around for the causes of these odd attacks on my senses. But what ever it was that was messing up my other senses were also playing games with my eyes. Everything became foggy. I couldn't tell where one house began and where the next ended.

I was really beginning to freak out. Goodbye happy thoughts…

Suddenly I felt someone grab my hand. This action caused my heart to flutter. It had to be Peter's hand, I was already holding on to Tonya's…

Hello happy thoughts…

"I'VE COME FOR MY BODY, PAN. GIVE IT TO ME."

The voice that cut through my happy thoughts and completely useless senses was totally creepy. It was as if what ever was speaking was coming from within my head instead of from out side in the real world.

"MY BODY, PAN!"

"Peter," I managed to whisper. "Peter… wh-what is that?"

I felt Peter squeeze my hand. "It's Hook. Or what's left of him." He whispered back.

"Jess? Jess where are we?"

Tonya didn't get it. She couldn't hear Hook's voice… but why?

"Jess? Jessica! Why am I falling?"

Pixy Dust, Happy Thoughts, and… 

"Faith." I whispered. "Tonya has no faith in her family, in Peter… in me."

**Author's Notes: **I'd really like to thank all of you who review. It seriously makes me feel good! I'm not sure if I got the whole, Happy Thoughts, Pixy Dust and Faith thing right, but I think those are what you need in order to fly. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Now please review! Thanks, you're all the best!


	8. The Ride of My Life

**Peter Pan**

A Young Boy No More

**Disclaimer**: I AM SIR JAMES MATHEW BARRIE! (Boy, are you people dumb)

**Author's Notes: **Thank you Luna32, Passion Fire (Original Screenname), Sasukeandrockleelvr, my teeth are sharp and Narnia forever!!! Again, you guys are the best! I heard on the news that there is going to be a sequel to J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan. In this book Tinker Bell is being replaced by a male fairy named Fire Fly. NO MORE TINK!!!!

**Chapter Eight – The Ride of My Life**

"I WILL NOT ASK AGAIN, PAN! HAND OVER MY BODY. NOW!"

"Sure." I heard myself say. "Because Peter just so happens to carry around heavy, smelly, dead bodies around all the time. You mind taking it out of your wallet, Peter?"

Peter stared at me through the fog.

"WHAT THE… OH I SEE. GOT YOURSELF A NEW GIRL FRIEND, HAVE YOU PETER?"

"Now you've done it," Peter whispered. Then he said to Hook's ghost, "What makes you think anyone could replace Wendy?"

My hand stiffened in his grasp. What could I have been thinking? Peter could never like me like that, let alone love me. He still loved Wendy, even though she was in her eighty's!

Peter must have felt the change in my mood because he tightened his grip on my hand, determined to make sure I didn't fall to my death. "Well?" he demanded.

"YOU'RE SUCH A SYCOPHANT THAT I FIGURED YOU WOULD HAVE HAD PLENTY OF GIRL FRIENDS BY NOW. BUT I GUESS TRUE LOVE ALWAYS PROVAILS AND YOU SHALL BE LONELY FOREVER, PAN."

Oddly enough I felt Peter slip below me a little bit, as if Hook had punctured his happy thoughts. His voice sounded normal all the same; "I'm such a what?"

"A yes-man or a flatterer." I whispered.

"Oh." He muttered. He was slipping fast as Hook's words began to sink in. I couldn't blame him.

I squeezed Peter's hand tight and whispered, "We need to get out of here."

"JESS-ICA!"

Tonya's piercing scream was enough to jolt Peter back to his senses. Suddenly something in him changed. He was no longer the failing, falling, miserable, Peter; but a completely jaded, I'm-gonna-save-the-world-if-it's-the-last-thing-I-do-and-we-all-know-it's-not-gonna-be-'cuz-I'll-be-back-to-foil-your-plan-every-time, kinda person. He was my Super Man, but not in tights and spandex, but in leaves and vines, not to mention shorter and more boyish.

"Tink," he whispered. "You be the decoy, okay? We have to get back to you-know-where."

I heard a small tinkle in reply.

"Come on." Peter urged me.

"Where are we going?" I asked slipping slightly under Tonya's weight after we had soared out of the fog and out of danger.

"Take a wild guess." He replied.

At first I was really insulted. But then I had been rude to him… But when he gave my hand a squeeze I realized he was being funny, I just couldn't see his smile because he was facing away from me.

"Hmmm," I said playing blonde.

This time I could hear him smile as he said, "What are you? Retarded?"

"So how long is this trip going to take, Mr. Pan?" I asked in the same slightly slow voice.

"I told, you, you would need your sleep." Ironically I didn't get mad at him this time. "It'll take some time."

"Something tells me that Tonya isn't going to believe in this journey." I said suddenly dipping a little.

Peter turned to face me mid-flight, concern etched on his face. "How will she explain the fact that you both had the same dream?"

"She'll deny having had the same dream as me." I replied.

"Why-"

"That's just Tonya." I said, sadness gripping me again.

"Come on," He said squeezing my hand. "We have to get to Never Land before Hook realizes we left him."

"Where's Tink?"

I heard a faint tinkle.

"Right behind us."

I yawned.

"I have an idea." He said, you should have seen his smile. "Hold tight, okay?"

I nodded sleepily.

"I mean it." He warned. "Don't let go."

"Okay!" I said with a smile as I grabbed onto his ankle.

"Ready for the ride of your life?" He asked down to Tonya.

"Sure." She muttered. "I still feel as if I'm falling. So please just don't drop me."

"Make sure to hold on tight to Jessica, then." Peter replied. "AHAHAHA!"

He laughed as we suddenly began to fly at an extremely fast rate. The wind whistled past us, or were we whistling past it? I wasn't sure. As a matter of fact I couldn't tell what was what at all.

Let me tell you, I hope Peter could, because I had no clue where we were going. For all I knew, we could run into the sun next or something! Don't get me wrong, I completely trusted Peter… I kind of had to… But I did all the same.

Suddenly we began to slow down again. Tonya gasped and let go of my hand. Looking around me I could see why. This place was beautiful, how could Wendy want to grow up after seeing this place?

"It's a shame it's going to collapse." Tonya said quietly. "It's so pretty."

Peter squeezed my hand; "It reminds me of someone I know."

"You must really miss my Great-grandma." Tonya said.

"I do." Peter agreed.

I looked down at the water. It was simmering, glowing beautifully from the light of the moon I knew, but seemingly with light of it's own as well. I could see all of the stars around us reflected in the water. Small insects were flitting above the water. Something made me wonder if they were fairies like Tink.

_Peter doesn't like you. Peter doesn't **NEED** you. He has Wendy._

I began to dip towards the surface of the shimmering water. I was willing to let it engulf me. The only thing stopping me was the boy clinging to my left hand.

"Let's go for another ride before we go to the Hide out and meet the Boys." Peter suggested.

I nodded, trying to hide my tears.

Suddenly we were once again flying at full speed. The elixir of it all cleansing my memory of all the pain of losing my mother, my father and possibly my best friend. I let it wash over me like I had been willing to let the ocean water do only moments before.

"Peter," I said quietly.

Coincidentally he did a flip right after and managed to force a smile upon my face. My super hero, but not my Peter. Simply because he's Wendy's.

**Author's Notes: **I'm sorry I haven't updated for so long. I hope you guys found this chapter to your satisfactory! By the way, I'm not really calling anybody stupid with my disclaimer, unless you REALLY think I'm Sir James Matthew Barrie. Lol. Thanks for reading, can you review now?


	9. I Don't NEED a Man

**Peter Pan**

**A Young Boy No More**

**Disclaimer**: I am SIR JAMES MATTEW BARRIE… or was it EIRRAB WETTAM SEMAJ RIS? Let me go and get my ID… oh wait… it says something else… Rae…Kitty…13…?

**Author's Notes: **Yay! Chapter Nine!!! Wow! This story is coming along great, but it still has so far to go! Poor Peter and poor Jessica! Why does love have to be such a hard game to play? One always so unsure of the other's feelings…

_Thank yous: Narnia Forever, Firefarire93, Sasukeandrockleelvr, Luna32, Crazyloverofboys, and Samalamadingdong_. _Thank you all ever so much! You're the best of the best!_

**Random Fun Fact: **Has anyone cared to notice how all of our problems start with MEN… **men**strual cramps…** men**tal break downs … **men**opause … must I go on? –Someone's away message. (Fits in perfectly with this chapter!!!)

Chapter Nine- I don't NEED a man 

_I don't NEED Peter either. _I decided as our last ride ended.

"That was fun. This is the best dream I've ever had." Tonya said.

"If this is a dream," Peter started. "How do you know this is a dream?"

"Hmm, good question." Tonya answered. "It's just that I've had plenty of dreams like this before."

My eyes bulged. "You have?"

"Yeah. Although I pictured Peter to look a lot better all of the times before." Tonya said.

"Hey!" Peter said.

"Oh get over yourself." Tonya muttered.

"Tonya, this isn't a dream." I said.

"This coming from the girl who almost killed her stepmother to be in real life?" Tonya asked. "When you said we were all crazy I didn't think you were as insane as you truly are."

I was taken off guard. Why the hell was she being so mean? What did I do? "What the hell are you talking about?" I demanded.

"You get away with everything, or at least you have until now. You are so spoiled Jessica." She answered.

"What the hell?" I demanded once again.

"Don't you get it?" Tonya shouted, finally frustrated with me. "People always come into your life when you need them. My mother treated you like a princess because you felt you needed to be spoiled. Your dad is marrying Miss Daisy because you need a mother."

Not her too! Curse it all she was using that damned word…

"I DON'T NEED A MOTHER!" I shouted back. "I HAD ONE! AND JUST BECAUSE SHE'S GONE DOESN'T MEAN I NEED ANOTHER!"

"Oh-GROW-up!" Tonya demanded. "Don't you get it? You father is marrying Miss Daisy because he thinks you need a role model. A lady to teach you to grow-up properly so you can find yourself a man-"

"I DON'T NEED A MOTHER! I DON'T NEED A ROLE MODEL, FOR I AM not GOING TO GROW UP LIKE MISS DAISY!" frustrated tears began to stream down my face. I thought Tonya was my friend…

"I DON'T NEED A MAN OR ANYONE ELSE!" I said. "I can get what ever I _need_ for myself and I don't need anyone to give it to me. I shall never grow-up."

"Not even to grow-up like your mother?" Tonya demanded.

"I WILL NOT GROW UP!" I shouted.

"So you'll be staying here in Never Land with me?" Peter asked. The whole time Tonya and I had been arguing he had been shying away. But when I had said I wasn't going to grow up he seemed quite pleased.

"Even Peter came because you needed him. Face it, Jessica. Peter knew you were on the verge of growing up and he came to rescue you. Isn't that sweet? You'll be able to prove to Miss Daisy that you're capable of filling at least SOME of your needs by yourself!"

"I DO NOT NEED A MAN!"

"Oh, but don't you see, Jessica? Peter is but a mere boy, whom not even two hours ago you needed quite dearly."

"What is wrong with you? I thought you were my best friend! I thought you understood why I can't grow up at my house with Miss Daisy there! Why I don't… I don't NEED anything! I DO NOT NEED ANY OF YOU!"

I turned and ran into the woods behind me. Thanks to my tears I was stumbling blindly through the dense jungle around me. I could hear them start to call after me, but I kept running. I didn't need anyone. I would show them.

Looking over my shoulder I didn't notice the large branch at my feet. As I hit the ground on a roll I heard a faint tinkle behind me. Sitting up I tried to find out where the noise was coming from.

Looking up there was a shimmering white light in front of me. Looking around, Tink was the only thing I recognized around here. It was still dark and I was more lost and confused, not to mention lonely and scared than ever.

Suddenly movement of the little light caught my eye.

Tink was pointing to herself. As if trying to tell me something… maybe she was miming?

"…I…" I tried guessing at what she was trying to say.

She nodded encouragement with a delighted twinkle. Then she pointed to her noise.

"I… nose… I know…"

Again she nodded. Then she began to finger spell…

"I know…h…o…w… (She points to me)… you…f...e...e...l…"

"How do you know how I feel?" I demanded.

Tink flinched and twinkled softly. Yet when I tried to turn away from her she wouldn't let me. She gives a lot of emotional twinkles, some soft and sad others harsh and angry and suddenly I remember the story of how Tink became jealous of Wendy.

"You lost a good friend in the Never Land, too, huh?"

Again she gave a twinkle I somehow knew was her way of agreeing.

"I'm sorry, Tink. I shouldn't have snapped."

In my crazed state, she was the only one I had ever apologized to.

Again she made a twinkling noise.

Somehow I was able to understand her. "You want to know what's wrong?"

She nodded.

"Well, starting six years ago, I lost my mom. She, she went on a business trip to America and she never came back. Ever since then my dad' s been trying to find himself another wife. He had two or three different girlfriends a month. All they want is his money. I've always been able to get rid of the one's he's serious about.

"But this time I can't get rid of her. She's got me pitted against my dad so bad that he disowned me. That bitch told me day in and day out what she thought I needed. Now, every time I hear that word I go crazy and I can't help it. I hate it. Only I know what I need and god-damn-it, I'm gonna prove it."

Tink gave me an apologetic twinkle.

"You don't have to feel sorry for me. I got myself in this mess… somehow. I never should have dragged Tonya into this. I'll just stay here in the Never Land."

"I know the Never Land is going to die, Tink. But I have no place else to go. I have nothing left. This is the only place for me. What do you mean I sound like Peter?"

She shook her head back and forth. "Oh, I don't sound like Peter, he's coming."

She nodded yes. She asked an odd question.

"What? No. There's nothing wrong with Peter. Then why do I keep running? Because, Tink. I'm afraid. What if I love someone again and he or she leaves me, like my mother, like Tonya. What if I love someone and they simply disown me like my father. It's better to be lonely than lonely and rejected."

"Jessica? Is that you? It's a good thing I found you! The animals around here get nervous easily." Peter said stepping out from behind some bushes. "Oh! Tink, you're here too. I'm glad you found her."

Tinker Bell replied in short angry twinkles that made me smile. She was defending my independence.

"That's funny, Tink says that-" Peter started.

"I know what she said." I remarked. "I don't **need** a translator."

"Really?" He looked dumb struck. Then suddenly his look changed to a smug grin. "Then what did she say?"

"She said I don't **need **other people to do things for me because I'm capable of doing them myself."

I guess most people couldn't understand Tink. Peter looked really angry. "How did you bond with Tinker Bell so quick? Only Lost Boys can do that! Tink is she going to be our Lost Girl?"

"No!" I answered with Tinker Bell. "Tink and I are friends!"

"What?" Peter demanded. "Go get your own fairy friend! You can't have mine! I won't let you steal Tink from me!"

"Don't worry! I **will** find my own fairy." I said turning to leave. Turning back I added quickly, "By the way, I don't believe in stealing. There's this little concept I just _love_, it's called SHARING."

"Tinker Bell you stay here." Peter sounded like he was going to cry. "You stay here, Tink. You're my fairy, yes, MY fairy."

I continued to walk away from the clearing like I could no longer hear Peter.

"What?" he demanded of Tinker Bell. "You _never_ got a long so well with Wendy. And Wendy gave me a kiss and shared with me her hidden thimble!"

I whirled around and began shouting again. "You _moron_! A thimble is a metal object that one wears on her thumb when sowing so as to not jab herself with the needle."

"Then what is a kiss?" In my rage I managed to come within inches of Peter's face.

His eyes were a brilliant green, glowing from Tink's light. His hair was curly and blond-ish brown, falling in all the right places, just calling for my fingers to run themselves through it again and again. His breath was minty-fresh, he must have been chewing on mint leaves while looking for me. And his lips…

It would be so much easier to explain to him what a kiss was by showing him rather than trying to explain it all in words. Besides he was already so close. All I had to do was lean in…

I placed one hand on his cheek softly and watched as his eyes followed my slow movements. As my left hand found itself intertwined in his unruly locks his eyes closed and I moved in closer. His face was relaxed and innocent, yet excited and unsure all at once.

Somewhere in the distance, as my lips just barely, spine-tingling-ly brushed against his, I heard Tinker Bell.

The spell he had cast upon me with a simple, innocent question was now broken by a just as simple twinkle.

I pulled my left hand out of his hair. Swiftly pulling my right hand back I smacked Peter in the face. My anger, embarrassment and pain written on my face in a deep blush as I shouted, "I DON'T NEED A MAN!"

I turned and ran, confused, scared and in more pain than ever.

**Author's Notes: **Dun, dun, dun!!! Now I leave it with a real cliffhanger! Gasp! I wrote my chapter, now it's your turn to submit a review! NOW, please? lol. I'll take anything; I want to know what you think. Make predictions; tell me what you like, what you dislike, what I could improve on, what I **need** to improve on, lol. Please?


	10. Prince Okami

**Peter Pan **

**A Young Boy No More**

**Disclaimer: **Yes, I am the one and ONLY Raekitty13, writer of the rears… Sorry for those of you who missed it, but I replaced the chapter… had to get rid of the evidence. Lol.

**Author's Notes: **I know I use Italics a lot in this story, but I decided to use them as translations of the fairy's language. As you have learned from the last chapter, Tink taught Jessica how to speak Fairy, so it's understandable to her, and in a different language to us. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the latest chapter!

_**Thank yous: Firefarire93, Narnia Forever, **Samalamadingdong Luna32, how dare you make fun of someone stumbling, blinded by TEARS? Oh well, it was a good laugh, thank you! Thank you Nicole, and Sasukeandrockleelvr, I was waiting for someone to ask that! Thank you all ever so much!_

**Chapter Ten- Prince Okami**

I'm not sure how far I ran or how long I was running. All I knew was that I wanted to get away. What was wrong with me? Why was I always mad, always depressed? What happened to the fun Jessica, the caring Jessica? What had happened to ME?

I continued to run. I ran as if my life depended upon it, and maybe it did. What was I going to do if I stopped? I had no clue where I was and there was nothing left for me to live for, nothing.

Suddenly the ground came rushing up a lot closer to my face than I would have liked.

"Shit!" I said as I ate a mouth full of dirt. "Owww, shit. That hurt."

I tried to sit up using my arms to push myself up. But instead of pushing off the ground and sitting up, I ended up eating another mouthful of worm poop as pain shot up my left arm.

Fresh tears of pain rain down my dirty face. "Ahhh," I cried.

I looked down at my left wrist. It was already beginning to swell up.

_Great. Just what you _**NEED**_, Jess. A broken wrist._

I looked back at my feet, wondering why I had even tripped in the first place. There at my feet where I had expected to see a twig or a large tuff of grass was a large crack in the ground.

What the hell…

Cradling my sore wrist I turned around and crawled over to the crack until my face was hovering over it. The crack was not only long, but deep. It's jagged sides raced along what seemed to be the whole jungle floor to me. In some places it had even looked as if it had cut through the trees. But what could have that kind of impact on the earth?

An earthquake? But caused by what? Did earthquakes even occur in the Never Land?

Peering into the unfathomable darkness of the crevice, I noticed that some where in the unimaginable darkness, there was a light. The light was faint and distant, but sure enough, there in the darkest dark I had ever seen was a small, tiny, almost microscopic light. What was it?

I reached my right hand down into the crack. As my fingers searched the endless darkness below, I heard an ever so faint tinkle.

Thinking it was Tinker Bell and Peter I cried out, "Peter! Tinker Bell! I'm over here!"

I didn't get a response at all. Plus there was no sound of footsteps. What was going on?

If the twinkle hadn't come from Tinker Bell…

I looked down into the crack again, cocking my head slightly and heard another faint twinkle, _"Help… Me…"_

Instinctively I reached down once more. This time my fingers made contact with a small, warm winged body as I reached as far down as I could. Gently wrapping my fingers around my find I began to pull my hand back out. 

Suddenly something from the trees came flying towards me disrupting the little balance I had. I fell back forward and almost dropped the small fairy in my hands. My face once again came in contact with dirt.

"_My savior… are you… all right?" _the twinkles were faint and hard to hear, but surprisingly their meaning was clear.

"I think so." I replied, trying to sit up again, this time with out the use of either hands.

"_Careful." _The twinkles didn't sound the same as Tinker Bells. They were deeper and more regal sounding.

"There we go," I muttered as I sat up and pulled the fairy out carefully.

"_C-c-o-l-d…" _it replied.

Without thinking I pulled the fairy close to me, my dark curls falling over my shoulders. I scooted closer to the nearest tree and leaned against it. Trying to keep the small fairy in my arms safe and warm I somehow managed to drift off to sleep…

Feeling a slight tug on my hair I tried to open my eyes. Although I was beginning to wake up, my eyes refused to open. It was almost as if I had been crying all night…

Again something tugged on my hair. Opening my eyes the bright sunlight flooded into my eyes, bringing with it not only the new pain of being blinded, but also the pain of last night. All of it, from the pain in my left wrist to the pain in my heart…

Groaning slightly I brought my right hand up to shade my eyes from the sun. There, sitting on my middle finger was a male fairy dressed in a royal purple suit, tugging on my hair.

"_My savior. How are you?" _He asked, as he stood and bowed to me. _"I am Okami, Fairy Prince of the Never Land."_

I just stared at him.

"_You're wrist," _He said. _"I looks like it's causing you much pain. Do you wish of me to heal it for you the best I can, my savior?"_

Looking down at my wrist I noticed it was a horrid bluish-black color signifying a painful bruise. Trying to wiggle my fingers only caused pain to shoot up my left arm. Turning my attention back to the Fairy Prince I said painfully, "Yes please."

He nodded and jumped lightly from my right hand to my left. Then he jumped straight up and hovered above my wrist, trying to cover it with a slight dusting of Pixy Dust. He would have managed, except Prince Okami had an injury of own.

He had only hovered above my wrist for a matter of two seconds before he fell. I reached out my hand and he landed hard in the center of my palm.

"You silly, fairy." I said. "Are you all right, Prince Okami?"

"_Please, to you I am your friend, your fairy for ever more. Call me Okami." _He said grandly. _"And yes, I'm fine."_

He smiled despite the fact that his right wing was bent at what must have been a very painful position. Looking directly at his face I could see his pain etched there. Simply crouching there in my hand was causing him great pain.

"Okami." I said quietly.

"_I'm fine," _He said grimacing.

"Right." I said distractedly. "Oh, by the way. My name is Jessica."

"_Pleased to be your fairy, Jessica."_ He replied. The sound of his twinkle convinced me. He needed help, and I couldn't give it to him. The only one who could was Peter, and I had to find him.

Standing up I looked around for any sign of recognition as to where I was. No matter how hard I looked though, I found none.

"Say, Okami, do you know where we're at?"

**Author's Notes: **Hey guys, what did you think? Please review??? I want to know exactly what you think if that means you tell me about things that happened in the past or things you think will happen in the future. Go for it, hit the little go button and type it in the lovely box, then hit the awesome submit review button, please?! Lol.


	11. Bargaining with a Pirate

**Peter Pan**

**A Young Boy No More**

**Disclaimer:** I think I've written enough of these- if not, e-mail me at IAmNotJamesBarrie(at)You.Moron

**Author's Notes: **Hey guys I'm so sorry for the delay in updating. I also apologize for the lack of well-written chapters. I'll try my best, but I'm not sure if I'll do any better. Thank yous must be given out! I'm sooo glad you guys reviewed!

**Thank yous:** Firefarire93, Luna32, -BeeVee-THEEAmazing and Sasukeandrockleelvr---- Thank you all soooo much, truly, you don't know how much your reviews mean to me!

**Chapter Eleven- Bargaining with a Pirate**

"_I'm sorry, Jessica, but I'm afraid I don't know where exactly we are." _Remarked my Fairy Prince.

"What?" I asked a slight tingle running up and down my spine. "How do you not know do you not know where we are?"

"_Same as you."_ He replied. _"I'm lost!"_

"Yeah, but you live here, I don't." I retorted.

"_Would you be able to find your way around your world if it was as convulsed and foreign as mine is to me?"_ He demanded.

"I'm not sure." I said shivering at the thought of my old world even more twisted than it was- or was it from the sudden chill? "Is it just me or did the winter suddenly sneak up on us?"

"_Non-sense. Now that Peter is back the only time it gets cold is during the night." _

"But it's cold now and the sun just came up two hours ago."

"_We've been wondering around for two hours?"_

"Yes." I was beginning to get agitated with Okami, not to mention my fingers were going numb. "How can you not feel how cold it is?"

"_I've been numb for days."_ He replied. _"I wouldn't have lasted much longer if you hadn't found me."_

"You haven't been saved yet." I said, my voice sounding far away.

"_What was that?"_ Even Okami's twinkle sounded disoriented and far off.

My vision began to blur and spin. I got a sick, queasy feeling in my stomach. I felt ill enough to barf all over Miss Daisy ten times over and then some- yet I was starving.

I also felt a twinge of déjà vu. I Know I'd felt this way before and I'm not talking about those horrid boughs of the flu. This feeling was so hard to place. When had I felt this way before?

'JESSICA!' My head began pounding and my heart began to race. Swear formed on my hands as fear gripped me along with recognition.

I knew when, where, and why I had felt like this before. Last time I had simply ran away. This time there was no Peter to save me.

'JESSICA,' the voice called again. 'JESSICA, WHERE IS PETER?'

"Wish I knew." I retorted. "When you find him, let him know I'm looking for him, will ya?"

'VERY FUNNY,' remarked the voice. I felt ice cold fingers worm their way up my arms, around my neck. 'I'LL ASK NICELY ONLY ONE MORE TIME-WHERE IS PETER PAN?'

A lifeless laugh escaped through my numb lips. "What makes you think I know where Peter is? He's a boy, boys disappear all of the time."

'HE MAY JUST BE ANOTHER BOY TO YOU-BUT TO HIM YOU ARE HIS NEW WENDY. IF YOU ARE AROUND, HE'S AROUND.'

"That so?" I demanded. What was up with people comparing me to Wendy? "Then, Peter, please come out. I've got a dying fairy on my hands- quite literally, dear. SO MOVE YOUR BUTT! Oh? What's that? You're long gone? Entertaining Tonya at the moment even thought she doesn't believe in your existence? Lovely, be home by tea time, would you, Love?"

'HAVE A DYING FAIRY ON YOUR HANDS DO YOU?'

I knew I had over done it. Boy was that an under statement, best one of the year so far…

'I CAN HELP YOU THERE.'

"Oh, yeah, and you know as a payment, I'll take you to Pluto with me next Thursday. My dad got tickets."

'NO YOU'RE GOING TO GET ME BACK MY BODY.'

"Why?" I knew why, but I figured my only chance of getting out of this alive was to stall.

'YOU KNOW WHY.'

"Oh, but I really don't!" Maybe time with all of my dad's dizzy, blonde girlfriends was going to pay off in the end…

'I HAVE NO NEED TO EXPLAIN MYSELF TO YOU.'

"Oh, but I just- I like being included in plans. And-" Come on, all bad guys love to explain their ingenious plans to someone! "What makes you think I'm going to help you if I don't know what the consequences are?

'CONSEQUENCES? HA! I'LL TELL YOU THE CONSEQUENCES! PETER IS GOING TO COLLAPSE ALONG WITH THIS PRISON.'

Prison? Did Hook's ghost just call the Never Land, a prison?

"What if I refuse to help you?" I demanded.

'NOTHING WORTH WORRYING ABOUT. YOU'RE LITTLE FAIRY FRIEND'S GOING TO DIE IS ALL.' He- or was he considered an it? - Replied.

His statement sent a chill through my body. Okami was the only one of my friends left. Miss Daisy had taken my only friend from home and I had lost Peter to my own insanity. My father as well, but Miss Daisy had a helping hand in that one.

Okami was the last one I had left. I couldn't let him die. I couldn't.

"I'm sorry, Peter." I muttered softly. A tear rolling down my cheek froze halfway down my face in the cold.

'WHAT WAS THAT?' Hook's deceased voice sounded pleased. I had forgotten that thing, what ever you wanted to call it could read minds.

"I said, what makes you think I'll be able to find your body?" I asked. "I mean you've been searching for a century."

'YOU WILL FIND MY BODY, JESSICA. AND YOU WILL HELP ME TO COME BACK. I CAN TAKE YOUR LITTLE FAIRY FRIEND'S LIFE JUST AS I CAN GIVE IT BACK TO HIM.'

"If you're so strong, why can't you find your body on your own?" Sarcasm and wit were my only defense.

'BECAUSE IN ORDER TO FIND MY BODY I NEED TWO FAIRIES AS MY GUIDES. AND SINCE I DON'T BELIEVE IN FAIRIES-"

"STOP!" I exclaimed, gently placing my forefinger and thumb around Okami's head as to plug his ears. "I get it. So you need someone who does."

'SMART, CLEVER GIRL.'

"Okay, but I only have one fairy and Prince Okami doesn't know where your body is!" I was really getting worried.

'DON'T FRET, MY DEAR. YOUR LITTLE FAIRY PRINCE WILL REMEMBER ONCE MORE WHERE HE AND THAT RETCHED FAIRY OF PETER'S-'

"Tink." I interrupted.

'WHAT?'

"Her name is Tinkerbell- Peter's fairy." I tried.

I got the impression that Hook's ghost was giving me the evil eye even thought I couldn't see it. 'TINKERBELL THEN – BURIED MY BODY ONCE HE LAYS EYES ON HER ONCE AGAIN.'

"Again?" As far as I knew Okami had never met Tink. I was even more surprised to hear that the Prince had helped TinkerBell resurrect such a monster. I wanted to ask Okami about I, but he had fallen into a sort of trance-like state.

'YES, AGAIN. NEITHER OF THEM REMEMBERS THE OTHER. YET AS PETER HAS TOLD ME, TRUE LOVE SHALL PREVAIL TIME AFTER TIME.'

"So wait, a minute-" I said. "Prince Okami and TinkerBell love each other? I thought Tink loved Peter, hence the reason she hates Wendy so much."

I really wished my fairy wasn't asleep at the moment. I needed him! I had a TON of questions for him; not to mention that I really didn't want to be the only one making bid decisions here.

'AHH- THAT IS WHAT TINKERBELL HERSELF THOUGHT UNTIL SHE MET YOUR FAIRY, PRINCE OKAMI.'

Suddenly Okami felt even colder in my already numb hands. "Okay, enough chit-chat. Save him, please."

'WILL YOU FIND ME MY BODY?"

"Just save him!" I exclaimed.

'NOT UNTIL I HAVE YOUR WORD.'

"Will it save the Never Land?"

'POSSIBLY.'

My only friend was dying on my finger. I had to save him. I didn't **need **to-but I **had **to.

"I'll do it. I'll do it! Just save him!" I sobbed. "Please… save-him…"

I don't know what he did or how he did it. I just remember opening my eyes to Prince Okami fluttering above me. My vision was no longer blurred.

"_You've saved me twice now."_ He said softly.

I felt warm, no longer cold. My stomach had stopped heaving and I noticed my hunger yet again. Hook's ghost had gone. The only thing left of our meeting was the horrid feeling I had in my gut.

The feeling of betraying Peter.

Now not only had- I introduced him to a friend whom didn't believe in him, slap him across the face for asking a simple question, and storm away from him in tears, but now I was working against him. I was going to **have** to bring back his worst enemy to save my only friend, to save myself.

I had sold not my soul but Okami's to the Devil-no, to a pirate. Bargaining with a Pirate I decided then and there, was a hell of a lot worse than bargaining with the Devil. Especially when the pirate was already DEAD and belonged IN hell instead of roaming around in the living world.

I cursed my luck quietly before asking my fairy quietly, "Do you know what I did to save you? Do you know what we have to do?"

He nodded, his friendly smile long gone. _"I'm sorry." _He said. _"You should have let me go."_

"I couldn't. I couldn't loose you. I can't lose-" The waterworks had started up again. I whipped away a tear, frustrated with my lack of control over my emotions. "I can't lose anyone else. I just can't… I'm sorry."

"_Don't be,"_ he said softly landing on my shoulder. _"And you don't have to worry about me leaving you. As long as you believe in me I will always be here for you, always."_

**Author's Notes: **Okay, was this chapter any better? HONESTY is a virtue! I'm sorry for any mistakes, any thing you didn't like and how long it will probably take me to update again. As always reviews are requested and appreciated- please let me know where I'm lacking talent and I'll try to pick up the slack!


	12. So Right Yet So Wrong

Peter Pan 

**A Young Boy No More**

By Raekitty13

**Disclaimer:** dun dun daaaaa ... Presenting to you J. M. Barrie... NOT!

**Author's Notes:** Yeah, this took FOR ever and I really must apologize! Then I have to thank all of you who reviewed for my last chapter! Special shout outs go to my following, amazing reviewers: Icefox, The First Lost Girl, Samalamadingdong, -BeeVee-THEEAmazing, BITEMENOTHERBITEME, Passion Fire and Firefairie93!!! Omg, you guys are truly the best of the best! What would I do with out you? Again, I'm sorry about the updating , its horribly slow! Oooo before I forget, this chapter is going to start out in Peter's POV...

**Chapter Twelve- So Right Yet So Wrong**

"Where could she have gotten to?" Looking around I couldn't even tell which direction she had taken once she had straightened out her path. "Tink, do you think she's okay? With the Never Land in such chaos- she could get hurt at any twist or turn! Plus Hook's ghost is still stalking us, and-!"

"Pan, get a hold on yourself, would you?" Tanya demanded.

I glared at her. "Who are you again?"

Tanya rolled her eyes, smiling slightly, "Great-grandma Wendy always said you were forgetful. But really, you've forgotten already? I just told you six minutes ago! Honestly, how can you remember that you're still looking for Jessica?"

I felt my face flush six shades of red. **Wendy.** Staring down at my feet, I could feel those stupid, irrational tears creeping up on me. Why did thinking about her hurt so much? It's not like I actually **loved** her. Love was an adult feeling and I am a boy, a little boy.

**-- Beginning of flashback--**

"You too, Peter."

"Will they send me to school?"

"Yes."

"Then an office?"

"I suppose so."

"Soon I shall be a man." I paused slightly before shouting at her. "You can't catch me and make me a man!"

"Peter...: The look in her eyes...

"I want _always_ to be boy and have fun."

"You say so but I think it is your biggest pretend."

**-- End of flashback--**

Adult feelings were, no **are** something I can't comprehend, and that's that! That's that.

"What else would I be doing in the middle of the jungle?" I spat at the girl. "I mean seriously! How could I forget I was looking for Jessica? And how are you NOT worried? Isn't she like your best friend?"

"She WAS my best friend. And then she invited me over to her house to get back at her dad's new girlfriend. We played pranks she created and when things went bad she totally blamed me to get out of trouble. She totally hates me and always had. To Jessica I was nothing more than a pity case ever."

"What makes you say that?"

"You aren't real! This is all a dream and I'm going to wake up in tears again because no matter how long or hard I dream of you coming to see me, coming to prove to all the idiots in my class that you are real; you'll never come. You never have and you never will. My family is nothing more than a gang of loonies!

"Why do my dreams have to torment me so? Why can't they simply except the fact that you are fake, that you don't exist outside of people's imaginations? Why do they have to keep reminding me of my constant need to grow up, to get away?"

"Perhaps they're warning you to slow down and live your life as a child while you still have the chance." I suggested.

"So you're admitting this is a dream?" she demanded.

"No."

"Why won't you just say it! This is a dream! Come on, Peter, say it with me; this is a dream."

This was getting out of hand. I stopped and spun around on my heel. Making a fist with my hand I hit her arm as hard as I could. "You tell me, is this a dream?"

"Oww..." she sobbed.

"Tell me, does it generally hurt when you get hit in dreams?" I turned and walked away, in search of Jessie once more.

"Generally people don't strike me in my dreams." she replied through gritted teeth, following me all the same. "I really can't see why you're so worried about Jess. Didn't she hit you?"

"I hit you harder than she hit me and yet here you are, tagging along after me!" I exclaimed.

"Yes, but unlike you I have no choice in the matter. I either follow you or get lost."

"I thought this was a dream. There for if you get lost, you can just wake up and find yourself in bed, not lost at all."

"I-I haven't been able to wake up yet." She admitted, finally it was beginning to sink in.

I wasn't sure what her problem was exactly but she really needed an attitude adjustment! And then Jessie, she seemed so depressed. She needed to reach out to someone and she knew it and yet, every time she did so she recoiled so violently. Something about her was almost suicidal. I have to find her.

"Tink! Go back and get the Lost Boys, we need everybody's help to find Jessie!"

"She's not going to like you calling her that." Tonya sneered.

"Why is that?" Maybe this was the break through I was looking for.

Suddenly her face was contorted in pain almost beyond my understanding. ⌠Her mom called her that,■ she whispered.

_Her mom **CALLED **her that_, Jess's mother was dead. No wonder... Wendy had told me that she would have cried too if she didn't have her mother..

What would Jessie do with out her mother?

I **had** to find her...

(**author's note: pov switch back to Jessica**)

"Okay, Okami, what now?"

It had begun to sprinkle and I was sure it was going to end in a massive down poor in less than five minutes. I really didn't feel like walking, or getting drenched. Why did the world hate me?

Thunder clapped in the sky as Okami replied, _"Erm, perhaps if we like started yelling at the top of our lungs someone will hear us."_

"Sounds like a plan." But did I really want Peter to find me? Could I seriously betray him like that? But if I didn't... and well, I could be saving the Never Land. After all, what kind of super hero would Peter be without a super villain to out smart every six minutes?

"PETER!" His name escaped from my lips of its own accord.

"PETER!" It sounded so desperate.

"PETER!" Suddenly, his name brought vivid mental images. His hair- his golden, wavy, extremely cute hair. His brilliant, radiant, loving, caring, forgiving, green eyes. His heart pumping, show stopping, eye popping, mouth watering smile.

"Peter?" By this time I was heavily leaning against a tree, sopping wet. When it had begun to rain I didn't know. Why I couldn't stand was a mystery as well.

And yet, as my body was running on auto pilot, the voice I heard ringing through my voice was a recognizable as the tops of my feet. The sent I smelt all around me, it was his. He was here, and yet, he wasn't.

Damn that stomach lurching, heart stopping, nose tickling smell. Curse that merry, nonchalant, melodic, inspirational, heart fluttering laugh. "...Pe..ter..."

"PETER!" A stronger voice was joining mine in my heart filled call to the man of my dreams. To the boy I was about to kill.

"No... please no." I tried to plead.

"PETER! HURRY, MATE! I THINK SHE'S ABOUT TO PAS-" the voice suddenly went quiet.

Good, now it wouldn't be able to call out to Peter. It wouldn't be able to let me betray the only human who didn't hate me... yet. God, why was it so dark?

"-Essie? Je...?" someone was calling my name.

Mom?

Was I dead? Had I died before I had betrayed Peter; before resurrecting Hook? So this is what death was like...

It was rather warm and dry. It was comforting, almost as if it was meant to be. Me in the hands of death. At the thought I shivered. But this shiver, it wasn't out of fright. It wasn't because I was completely weirded out.

"-ssica? ...Okay?" The voice. It wasn't feminine. It was masculine, slightly high pitched for a guy but masculine all the same. Kinda like a teen before he hit puberty, slightly gruff but still too high pitched to be natural. "Guys, I think she's coming around."

I felt the person holding me shift my weight slightly and the shiver ran the length of my back once again.

"Peter."

His name had left my mouth once again, all on its own. It sounded so right.

"I'm here." He pulled me closer.

I wrapped my arms around his neck involuntarily. "Peter."

"Hey, are you okay?"

My heart fluttered, skipping a few too many beats in such a short moment.

He cared. He really cared whether or not I was okay. He was holding me, something someone hadn't done in what felt like a long time. And yet, how right it felt to be in his arms, my guilt made it feel just as horrid. His body warm with comfort was now hot with vengeance. His arms that had been cradling me before were now pinning me.

"Jessie," His voice was soft, caring, yet prodding. "Why didn't you tell me about your mother?"

His words, how ever kind their intent stung at me worse than nettles.

"Peter, where's Tink?" someone asked.

How dare he call me Jessie?

"She's still out searching. Call for her." Peter answered.

How dare he demand of me to tell him of my sorest wound?

"TINK! TINKER BELL!" Many voices were calling out for Peter's fairy but I didn't notice.

How dare I betray him like I was bound to; like I had to?

"Peter, she's not coming..."

His last sentence to me gave me what I needed to wound him enough to not hurt him in the end. I took a deep breath and prepared to emotionally push him away yet again. I couldn't get emotionally involved with him. I was his enemy, he mine.

"WHY SHOULD I HAVE TOLD YOU IN THE FIRST PLACE?" I shouted at him, shoving myself away from him physically. "And don't _ever_ call me Jessie."

I was preparing to run off again but the strangest sight I've ever seen stopped me dead in my tracks.

**Author's Notes:** I'm really sorry it took me so long to update this. I really hope to get the next chapter out a bit quicker! I think I'm on a role and a slight Peter Pan high at the moment. What would really boost my spirits would be a couple of reviews, though. lolz. Thanks for reading, reviewing and being so patient with me! ... omg, I need word or something fan fic likes... I just had to go through and replace basically allll symbols and bold/italics/everything else alll over again... does anybody have any suggestions? Perferably something free that won't kill my computer...


	13. A Fairy Tail Romance

Peter Pan

**A Young Boy No More**

By Raekitty13

**Disclaimer:** I really don't think James had such issues getting his story out to his readers...

**Author's Notes:** Mkay, thank you's: -BeeVee-THEEAmazing, MistFairie93, Passionate Fire, erm… "someone", & Luna32.

**Chapter Thirteen- A Fairy Tail Romance**

In front of me hung an odd pair. Tinker Bell having been flying towards Peter and I from the left was frozen in mid-air. The air was perfectly fine, if not a bit warm... how had she managed to freeze like that?

Looking over my shoulder, barely even a foot away from me, I saw Prince

Okami. He too was frozen in place, hovering at a dangerous height above the ground. Bile raised in my throat as suddenly I realized they had made eye contact. Hook's evil plan that I had to carry out, had already begun to unravel without me even noticing.

I knew what was going on. Their stances weren't actually caused by black magic but red. It was pure magic of the heart showing physically what was happening mentally as their memories of each other slowly un-melted and resurfaced, no longer suppressed by past enchantments.

Also resurfacing was the memory of where Hook's body lay buried from the world. The memory I needed most to save Okami, yet I hated the most for it would kill Peter. It was dreaded yet needed. Cursed yet blessed. It was so damned messed up!

"Wh-who's fairy is this?" Peter whispered, seemingly afraid to kill the moment by speaking too loud.

"Mine." I whispered back.

"Ohhhhhhhhh!" Came a chorused exclamation from the lost boys and to my surprise, Tonya.

"What?" I asked.

What did they know that I didn't?

Did they know my secret?

"Story time!" Tonya trilled. "I have another story for you Jess. One told to me by my mom. This one too is a romance story, but this romance is different."

"Different how?" I asked, suspicion etched in my voice subconsciously.

"Yes," Peter's voice was as guarded as mine. "Please, do tell."

"You'd like that wouldn't you, Peter?" Tonya teased. "Wendy was a story teller too, you know. You've always had a thing for story tellers, haven't you?"

"SHUT UP ABOUT WENDY AND TELL YOUR DAMNED STORY!" Peter exploded unexpectedly scaring all of us.

"Peter, where did you learn such words?" I asked hoarsely.

"You, Love." He smirked.

I fell for his taunt and jabbed him roughly in the ribs. "Jerk-face."

"Ask dumb questions and dumb answers you shall receive."

"If this story is as true as you are, that's not what she's upset about." Tonya remarked with a slight smile.

"What on earth are you rambling about?" Peter demanded with a shake of his head. "Just tell the story!"

"Okay..." Surprisingly she had the story telling talents of her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.

"Fairies are said to be born for every boy and girl. They live off of those select children's laughs, their happy thoughts, their belief in the surreal. They live because those children believe they do. As soon as the child believes other wise-"

She had made a cutting motion across her throat indicating the death of the poor fairy.

"Most children never actually meet their fairy and vise versa, but when they do, it is said that in order for the fairies to pay back their debt to the children, the fairies help them to find their true love.

"Amazingly this is extremely easy for the little critters because they are destined to love the fairy of their child's lover. They know they've found the right fairy not only by their pure instinctual feelings of love, but because they are transformed into cat forms. Sometimes, the fairies find each other before the children, other times the children actually beat the fairies. It doesn't happen very often, but as you all can see, it's happened here."

"No." Peter and I answered together, syllable for syllable. "They found each other first."

I turned quickly to Peter. Ho-how did he know that?

His eyes held the same question for me. Did I dare to ask it?

Tonya beat me to it. "What are you two rambling on about?"

How the hell was I to answer that with out giving away the ending of the story?

"Look at Tink!" shouted the lost boy who had found me.

Looking out of instinct I saw a bright white light engulf the fairy girl. Suddenly sitting on the ground about five feet below where Tinker Bell had been was a white Persian kitten. It was tiny, really tiny, almost too small to truly be a living cat when it suddenly meowed.

Surprisingly I understood the meow. And the little cat mewed it once more, _"Okami! Okami is that you?"_

Out of pure amazement I turned to see a light similar to the one that engulfed Tink, swallowed Okami too. The only difference was the color, Okami's an excruciating dark yet brilliant purple.

Okami's dark purple cat form was rubbing lovingly against Tink's before anyone could even blink an eye. He called to her, _"Yes, Love, it's me."_

"The thoughts..."

"I know... shhh. It's alright."

We were all amazed. So amazed that talking wasn't an option. All that could be heard for a long moment was the happy purring of the two fairy cats.

"What just happened?" asked the shortest Lost Boy. There seemed to be about five of them present.

"Jess and Peter's fairies just transformed into cats..." muttered the tall, lanky one with dark brown curls.

"Jessica and Peter sitting in a tree!" sang a pudgy little boy of about nine.

"Actually," I said coldly. "I'm sitting in the mud."

Peter laughed, almost causing me to lose my angry expression, almost. "That we are. But I can find a tree if you want."

**  
Peter.**

Everybody else was laughing. But no matter how much I **wanted**to laugh, I couldn't.

I did how ever manage a smile and Peter must have taken it a different way because he squeezed my hand and whispered, "I was being serious."

I whispered back, "Peter, do you even know how that song goes?"

"No," he said. "Sing it for me."

I wrinkled my nose. "So and so-"

"Jessica and Peter," He interrupted me.

"Jessica and Peter," I restarted loving the sound of our names together. "Sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes LOVE, then comes MARRIAGE, then comes a BABY in the BABY CARRIAGE."

It was Peter's turn for his nose to wrinkle and his whole face turned deep red. "It's about _growing up_!"

"Yeah, pretty lame, huh?"

"And here I thought we would be doing something _fun_ in that tree…" he complained.

I actually laughed, causing him to look up at me, the look in his eyes was so stunning I almost forgot to breath.

"You know," he said quietly, his breath tickling my ear as he whispered into it yet again. "You should laugh more often."

I gave him an odd look, quirking one eyebrow. "And why would that be?"

"Because," He continued to whisper in a breathless way. "It sounds so… lovely."

Okay, I'll admit, at _that_, I stopped breathing.

**  
Peter**.

"Walk with me?" He asked standing up, not noticing my lack of breathing.

I just nodded and he helped me up.

We wandered off, away from the group, hand in hand. All thoughts of Hook completely gone, even though Tink and Okami were prancing around our feet, weaving in and out as we walked. Peter, it seemed, had a way of clearing my head of all other thoughts but him.

"Jess," Peter's voice was quiet. "I-I know you don't want to talk about this, but was your mother's name Kristal?"

I just stared at him. I wasn't angry with him. I wasn't happy either but I wasn't going to strangle him this time. His hand in mine had some sort of calming effect on me. But, how did he know my mother's name?

"Yes."

"Okay…" He stared at the ground as though he didn't know how to continue, or even if he wanted to. "I-I have to tell you something…but…you might want to sit down."

He gestured toward a log and I sat.

"Umm, where to start?" He asked. He was looking at me in pity. "Okay, you know that I help dead children pass over, right?"

I nodded.

"Well, normally I never help adults, but your mother was an exception. She refused to pass over. Not with her young daughter waiting for her at home. She had _promised _to return home. Because she was fretting about her child, they sent her to me, hoping I could help her cross over peacefully.

"I wasn't sure what to do. She was sobbing and trying so hard to go back. I couldn't get her to calm down, no matter what I said she would just freak out more. Then I asked her to tell me about her daughter. I wasn't sure why, it was all she seemed to be able to talk about though, so I figured maybe it would help her.

"She, your mother, she loved you Jessie. She told proudly how well you could count, read, and add. You were so sweet. She told me about that one time you tripped down the stairs and never noticed anything was wrong with you at the age of two. You were too worried with why your mother was crying to realize you were bleeding from the head. And then when you had to get stitches, you held still and were a brave little girl.

"Then she told me about how you were going to be when you grew up. "Peter," She said. "You'd absolutely love Jessie when she grows up. She'll have my wondrous curls but hers will be slightly redder than mine. She'll be sweet and kind… but with out me, she may need help. If you ever come across her, can I trust you to help her?" Of course I promised her that I would."

I hadn't realized how hard I was crying until he paused in his story. I also didn't realize that he was holding me as tight as he was. He was telling me of my mother's last words. He was the last one to speak to my mother before she was lost to any living person forever.

But instead of hating him, instead of wishing to be him, I loved him all the more for it. For comforting my mother when I couldn't, for keeping his promise, for telling me about all of this, for simply caring, for holding me when I need him without having told him so.

"Jessie," him, using my mother's nickname for me, suddenly didn't hurt. After all, it was the first name he knew me by. "I- this is going to sound stupid…"

He was subconsciously wiping away my tears while looking away from me. "I- I was really looking forward to meeting you. I've dreamed about it for a long time. The stories your mother told me about when you were younger, to how you would be when you grew up-"

"And now that you have, I've disappointed you?" I couldn't look at him.

"No," He whispered smiling down at me. "You've proven to be even better than your mother described. I'm very honored to meet you. Will you live here with me in the Never Land forever?"

Talk about not being able to breathe...

**Author's Notes: **Thank you Luna32, I owe you BIG time.


	14. Going on a Pirate Hunt

**Peter Pan**

**A Young Boy No More**

By Raekitty13

**Disclaimer: **Yeah, I bet James Matti-Poo Barrie has a Tamagotchi named Mia. & btw I dooo own Wee Sing, just thought you ought to know…

**Author's Notes: **Yessss! Kudos to the following: Mistfairie93, -BeeVee-THEEAmazing, Luna32 & Void Delirium! Thanks you guys rock! Sorry for the slow update… anyway, on with the chapter!

**Chapter Fourteen-Going on a Pirate Hunt**

"Oh. my. god." I whispered, talk about not being able to breathe… What was I supposed to say to that? "YES!"

It had slipped out of my mouth of its own accord and yet I didn't regret saying. Peter smiled at me.

"I was hoping you'd say that. I-I mean it'd be pretty hard to watch over you if you went back home."

_Home._

The word was a rude awakening to a very real, very recent past. My father had disowned me. My mother was going to be replaced by… by that _woman_, Daisy. (I couldn't help but gag at the pure thought of her and my father- which caused Peter to give me a concerned look.) And Tonya, she absolutely hated me. But Tonya wasn't at home, she was here…

"Tonya?" I asked Peter-to him I'm sure it was quite randomly. "Wh-where's Tonya?"

"She's still back with the lost boys…" Peter looked even more concerned. "We weren't gone that long …"

His voice sounded far off. I panicked, was Hook coming back?

"Peter…" I managed before everything went black.

_---------------_

"Going on a Pirate Hunt!" sang a fuzzy, life sized rabbit. He looked familiar and I knew I had heard this song before, but the words were slightly messed up.

Out of nowhere Okami and Tink appeared. _"Going on a Pirate Hunt!"_

They were in some sort of trance. My surroundings were unclear and blurry but I could make out the three of them, the cat fairies following the bunny. At that moment I realized where I'd seen him before; the rabbit was from a movie I had watched as a small child. The original song had been something along the lines of "Going on a Bunny Hunt".

Suddenly the rabbit switched from being cute and cuddly to ugly and horrifying. He was no longer fuzzy but transparent. Hook's snide, prideful, not to mention evil, ghost was now standing where moments before had been a children's sing along singer.

"NEED TO FIND HOOK'S BODY!"

"_Need to find Hook's body!"_

Okami and Tink led the way, yet they echoed Hook's words. I on the other hand, had no choice but to follow the odd parade.

"WALKING THROUGH SOME TALL GRASS."

"_Walking through some tall grass." _

And we really were walking through some tall grass. I wasn't sure where we were at exactly. It could have been anywhere in NeverLand. I mean I really couldn't see Peter mowing the whole place or anything.

"SWISH, SWISH, SWISH, SWISH."

"_Swish, swish, swish, swish!"_

The sound effects were unnecessary and completely creepy. I figured it was Hook's way of making sure I wouldn't forget where it was we were going…

"GOING ON A PIRATE HUNT!"

"_Going on a Pirate Hunt!"_

Was this never going to end? I mean why sing? Sure, it helps for spelling tests, but finding dead pirate bodies? I had assumed someone would have come up with something a liiiitle more creative. Just goes to show one should never assume…

"NEED TO FIND HOOK'S BODY!"

"_Need to find Hook's body!"_

"Well, I reasoned with myself simply because everybody else was ignoring me. "Stealing someone else's song is sort of pirating and that's what pirates do, right? Pirate stuff… I mean steal it… OH! I don't know what I mean I'm **talking **to myself when I should be paying attention…"

"HIKING OVER A **BIG** MOUNTAIN!"

"No!" I cried out. Of course nobody paid any attention to me yet again.

"_Hiking over a BIG mountain!"_

Sure enough we there was this HUGE mountain, but instead of having to hike up it- to my relief, mind you- we kind of just flew over it. Flying, yeah! I forgot I could do that on my own now! I didn't need Peter to do so!

_Peter_.

"TRUDGE, TRUDGE, TRUDGE, TRUDGE."

"_Trudge, trudge, trudge, trudge."_

Okay, those sound affects were most definitely not needed! I mean we were flying over it! Shouldn't it have been something like "Flap, flap, flap, flap"?

"GOING ON A PIRATE HUNT!"

"_Going on a Pirate Hunt!"_

"NEED TO FIND HOOK'S BODY!"

"_Need to find Hook's body!"_

If I had to listen to much more of this, I was bound to lose it. And I mean lose it worse than I did with Little Miss Daisy…

"SWIMMING ACROSS A DEEP RIVER!"

"_Swimming across a deep river!"_

Okay, that might not have been in the kids' song but still! This whole thing is still allowed to be annoying! "And I'm not going swimming in that! It's bound to be freezing cold! Aren't flying kitty fairies _afraid_ of water?!"

"SPLASH, SPLASH, SPLASH, SPLASH."

"_Splash, splash, splash, splash."_

We were still flying but the whole idea of that much water bellow me with out Peter holding onto my hand was terrifying. Despite my thoughts swaying to the darkest possible filled with fear and depression I didn't fall. We just kept flying on.

"GOING ON A PIRATE HUNT!"

"_Going on a Pirate Hunt!"_

"Is it over YET?!" I demanded.

"NEED TO FIND HOOK'S BODY!"

"_Need to find Hook's body!"_

"Please!" I called to really no one in particular. "I'm Hung-"

The word died in my throat as the group sang:

"FLYING OVER A GRAND VOLCANO!"

"_Flying over a grand volcano!"_

At the very bottom of the volcano was a pile of bones. The stench escalating from the gaping hole and significantly humongous, shire drop of the volcano crater far below was stomach wrenching. Squeezing my eyes shut tight I clenched my stomach in an attempt not to vomit.

Opening my eyes once again, I knew the trying was futile. I rolled over onto my side and through up absolutely nothing. The dry heaves were enough to leave me breathless and gasping for air.

Upon hearing my struggles someone walked over to me while yet another turned on a light.

"Jessie?" Peter's voice was quite and full of concern.

I would have called his name in response, simply to let him know I wasn't dead, but my body had a different idea. It didn't feel like stopping its rather throat searing rollercoaster ride for stomach acids. The dry heaves gave way to some sort of liquid leaving a rather startled Peter not so dry.

Finally I stop vomiting all together. "I'm so sorry, Peter!" were the first feeble words out of my mouth.

"It's okay." He remarked although his face said otherwise, as he placed a hand on my forehead. "You're hot."

Blushing, it had taken me that long to realize I was covered in a cold sweat while burning alive. It felt almost as if the Volcano had caught me floating above its opening and had decided it no longer wanted me there. Vomiting its flaming hot lava all over me, similar to the way I had barfed all over Peter.

_Volcano_.

Trying to stand up I told Peter flat out, "There's something I need to do."

"Can it wait until after you eat?" Peter asked. "You haven't eaten for a long time and I think it's part of the reason you're sick now. Tonya says its definitely the reason you passed out."

"Is that so?" I asked.

"Yes," this time Tonya herself answered me. "Jess, you really had us worried. ALL of us."

At her words I looked around myself and say nine pairs of eyes on me. All the lost boys,-one standing nearer to Tonya than she to any others, I noticed- were staring at me with mixed looks of concern. Tink and Okami were also looking at me, but they looked about as horrible as I felt. And of course, Peter was still looking at me with a look of… I wasn't sure what exactly to call it.

"So, before you so much as go pee, you're going to eat." Tonya finished with a smile.

"You're no longer mad at me?" I asked.

"I wouldn't say that much." She retorted, smile long gone. "For that to happen you have a ton of explaining to do!"

I sighed. "How about over breakfast?"

Tonya nodded as Peter began to prepare us a meal.

"I swear, Daisy is out to ruin my life," I started, knowing I sounded way cliché and my voice was really husky from vomiting. I reached for a glass of water handed to me by Tonya's lost boy before continuing. "She's only after my father for his money. I just know it. Come on, Tonya. You've met his other girlfriends. You know how they all are. They all take my dad for a ride: spending his money and trying to take the place of my mother."

Peter placed a plate of scrambled eggs in front of me and Tonya's lost boy did the same for her while the rest of the boys simply served themselves. I took one bite, intending to tell more afterwards, but instead I ended up shoveling forkful after forkful into my mouth. My appetite had returned, bring with it a slight smile to Peter's face.

Peter refilled my plate and my water glass, expecting more of my story. "Normally I can get ride of them myself. You know, a few pranks here, and a slight fit behind my father's back. But this woman, this _Miss Daisy_ is one horrid wench. I swear, she's like evil or something."

I noticed Peter had stopped eating and was listening intently to my story. It caused me to pause. I almost couldn't go on, but I needed Tonya on my side. I needed her to forgive me, so I could have a friend when I went home.

_Home_.Daisy was at home. Home as I knew it was no more.

"She won't go away. And she lies to my father's face, while kissing it and.. Arg! She's just so, bitchy! I mean she thinks she owns _my_ house. She acts like it too, and my father lets her get away with it. It doesn't seem to bother.

"Tonya, I'd never use you. I would rather openly admit to Daisy's face that I hate her guts than tell my father that you were the mastermind. Not only does that give you all the glory of humiliating her, but you're my best friend and I would never put you in danger of getting into trouble, especially in my messed up world."

I looked at Tonya, but she still didn't seem convinced. I was going to have to tell her. She deserved the truth anyway.

Staring down at my plate I continued yet again, I couldn't look any of them in the face. I simply couldn't watch them judge me.

"I almost killed her." My voice was so low, I could feel their eyes staring at me. "The only thing that stopped me was my dad. He shielded her. At that time and place he chose her over me. At that time and place I shattered ever bone in his arm. At that time- 7:42 pm- that place, my childhood home, I became an orphan.

"He disowned me in front of her. She won. Daisy now has my dad all to her self. I have no home to return to. I have no mother, no father, no best friend, no home. Why? Because of Daisy, sure, she didn't kill my mom, but she killed any chance of me excepting someone else to stand beside my father.

"Tonya, I'm not asking for your pity. Just your understanding and your support. Please, forgive me?"

I looked up again. She was staring at me. Just staring. She wasn't going to forgive me. On top of that everybody knew my darkest secret. If things had gone my way, I would have been a murderer.

I couldn't take my eyes off of Tonya's face. I felt I wouldn't be able to bare the shocked look on Peter's face. Now he knew, he knew that I was capable of killing. Maybe he would realize that I was his enemy and he would stop being nice to me and kill me before I could help Hook. Maybe he would end my misery. Maybe he would kill me before I could kill him.

"Eat more food, Jessica! I swear you look as though you haven't eaten in months!" Tonya shouted at me.

I knew she hadn't meant to be loud, but in the silence that had followed my confession, it was louder than bloody sin. I couldn't help but smile. She had forgiven me. She didn't admit to it, and considering it _was_ my best friend Tonya, she wouldn't ever simply because she was just that damned stubborn.

"Truce?" I asked quietly, standing to get more eggs.

"Truce." she confirmed standing as well.

I dropped my plate, tears blurring my eyes, as I hugged my best friend. All the things that I had gone through, in the last seven hours since I had seen her pouring out of my eyes in tears. She simply held me and patted my back.

"I'm sorry that you got into trouble because of me!" I sobbed.

"That's not why I was angry," Tonya told me.

I pulled away from her, finally able to wipe my tears away for a while. "Really?"

Tonya nodded. "Like you said, that woman is clever. She wove her words like a spell, causing me to just hate you because you never actually thought of me as a friend. She said you thought I was a nut case, a pity party set for one. She said to you all I was, was a girl far worse off than yourself."

"Never." I whispered.

"I know," Tonya whispered hugging me again. "I should have never believed her, never. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, it's not like you're the only one to have fallen under her evil spell. My dad was far worse than you."

"We really need to get rid of her." Tonya nodded.

"Naw, I figure that if he makes her that happy I can just stay here. Out of the way and forgotten."

Tonya shook her head. "You can't stay here. I need you back home."

"But-"

"How about more eggs?" Peter asked picking my plate up off the floor.

My story didn't seem to have left him with any bad feelings. As a matter of fact he wanted to hear of all the stunts I had pulled on her and my father's previous girlfriends. I became grand story teller for a while, but when Okami landed on my shoulder I knew I had overextended my stay.

He looked horrible and Tink looked just as bad. They were together finally and at last and by George they were happy about it. But something told me their current condition was due to Hook's curse. I needed to get out there and find it fast… but how?

I obviously couldn't just dart outside with Tink and Okami and just randomly start walking off. It wasn't as if I knew where it was or anything…

"_Going on a Pirate Hunt!" _

Suddenly my dream flooded my mind and I realized that I did know where to go. I didn't need to take Tink with me, just Okami so I could fly. But how to get away?

"_So, before you so much as go pee, you're going to eat." _Tonya's words came back to me and I knew what I had to do.

"Peter?" My last words to him, I cringed inwardly.

"Yah?"

"I really have to pee…"

He gave me a twisted kind of smile. "If you go around the back of the tree house you'll find this really big bush, you can use that right?"

I nodded. "Have any tp?" I figured I might as well go while I was at it.

"Tp?" He asked.

"You know, toilet paper?"

"Oh." he remarked as Tonya's lost boy threw a roll at me.

The boy smiled. "Tonya need it, too."

"Extra from our last Daisy prank." Tonya smiled.

"Sweet," I said with out a smile as I headed out the door.

I walked out the door with Okami still on my shoulder. Tink was inside with everyone else. I found the bush, did my business and left Tonya and Peter a fair well note in the mud around the corner with a stick.

"_What's the plan?"_ Okami twinkled.

"You know that tall grass?" I asked him quietly.

Okami nodded.

"How far until we get there?"

"_Half hour if we fly."_

"And if we walk?"

"_Two hours?" _Okami guessed. He didn't seem to like the idea of walking.

Apparently, like me, he just wanted to get this over with. He wanted to betray his love's human about as much as I did. Something told me this wasn't going to be a joyful Pirate Hunt…

"Let's do this thingy…"

Okami covered me with fairy dust and we were off. The thirty minutes seemed to drag on forever but I didn't want to talk and he didn't seem to either. So we flew in silence.

Upon reaching the grass I decided the silence was a downer and I needed to stay flying as long as possible, I asked Okami a question that had been bugging me lately. "Are you my fairy?"

"_Yes."_ He answered.

"But how were you able to help Tink then?" I demanded. "I wasn't even thought of back then!"

"_I was your mother's fairy then."_

"So it was my mom and Peter who were destined to love each other." It wasn't a question. It was a statement.

We were a now working our way over the mountain. I felt myself slip slightly. Wendy and Peter weren't made for each other, but my mom and Peter were a different story according to Tonya.

"_No. You're mother carried the seed of love and planted it in Peter as she crossed over. It is very rare, our arrangement. But Tink and I love each other and your mother already had your father. I was you mother's fairy, but when she died, instead of me dying as well, she unknowingly saved me by passing me on to you. _

"_In her planting the starts of love in Peter, she passed on her life force to you and you have never doubted the existence of fairies, so of course I was re-born as your fairy. In being re-born I forgot the where abouts of Hook's body and my love for Tink._

"_It wasn't Peter's magic as Hook seems to think that buried our memories, but your mothers."_

"So in following through with this, I'm undoing my mother's last works?" I asked. "Am I going against everything she ever did?"

"_It was bound to happen. You can't fight destiny."_ Okami said in an attempt to reassure me.

We were finally at the top of the mountain, it hadn't taken as long as I thought it would. The view from here was scary. It was so high up, even the tallest trees of the jungle looked like little green dots below us. The sun was almost as high in the sky as we were now.

Peter, Tonya and the lost boys were bound to be looking for us by now. Hopefully Tink would know what we were up to and keep Peter and the others off of our trail. I had to do this here and now before I had the chance to back out. Even though, according to Okami I didn't have that choice to.

"Are you tired?" I asked Okami. When he shook his head no I suggested we continue and he agreed.

We decided not to descend any simply because, even though the mountain had in deed been BIG, the Grand Volcano was even bigger. It would save us time and I wouldn't notice the exact point when we'd cross the deep river. It looked like a little line drawn by a pre-school-er from this height.

If I had thought the thirty minute trip to the tall grass had been a long flight (which I know I had) it was nothing compared to the five hour trek to the volcano. Not only was the trek five hours long, but we passed it yet again in silence. I couldn't think of anything to ask. I was fighting with myself to fiercely to even begin forming sensible sentences. Okami seemed to have understood.

As we began to climb the mountain I had to ask Okami the next question that was bugging me. "How do you know its love?" I blurted.

Okami didn't seem surprised. _"Love, is a feeling and you know it with every fiber of your being. It just is, there is no questioning it and no doubting it."_

_Did I love Peter?_ I asked myself. _No, I'm questioning it. _

The true question in the matter, I decided, was could I grow to love Peter. I knew the answer and it was an all out hell yes. So maybe the actual question was: "Do you think Peter loves me?"

"_I think like you, Peter is too young to be able to determine what exactly love is. He has liked you that is for certain, for a long time, and had this not gotten between the two of you, who knows how fond you would have become of one another?"_

"How do you think he's taking the note I left him, right now?" I asked.

"_Would you like to see for yourself?" _Okami asked me.

I looked at him. "We can do that?"

Okami nodded, _"But we're going to have to stop flying."_

"Sounds good, I'm getting hungry anyway." I yawned before adding, "And tired."

We found a place to sleep and Okami hid us from the others, even though we had a head start, we figured Peter would be persistent. We then found edible food and ate. But before going to bed, Okami told me how I could see Peter.

"_You must think about him before you fall asleep. And I'll do the rest."_

"That won't be too hard," I answered with a sad smile.

"_Good night, Jessica."_

"Good night, Prince Okami."

**Author's Notes:** I'm sorry! It takes me a long time to update! I'm so horrible with this stuff! But the good news is that I have found an efficient way of updating… so now all I have to do is work on finishing chapters sooner. Lolz Thanks for reading this far in my story! You are amazing in my book and if you review you'll be amazing in my eyes and I'll give free virtual cookies… and not the kind that clog your computer either! The good, chocolate chip kind!


	15. Thru a Man's Eyes

**Peter Pan**

**A Young Boy No More**

By Raekitty13

**Disclaimer: **I was going to tell you that there was no way that Barrie took this long to write Peter Pan, but I was wrong. I did my research, and as long a I finish this story within the time limits of 2008, I'll have taken as long to write my Peter Pan fan fic as it took Sir James Matthew Barrie to write his original play, Peter Pan.

**Author's Notes: **'Iiight... this was a lOOOOOng time in coming, but I promise, they're freshly baked. Cookies go to Luna32 , Mistfairie93 &&& tennchick15!!! I have no excuse for how long it took me to update this, so I made a double batch. I have kinda lost all hope of ever finishing any of my stories, and as a writer, that's the worst kind of writer's block I can get. Not being able to finish something I've started is not only horrible in itself, but also irresponsible of me. Therefore, as my New Year's Resolution, I really am going to try to finish this story! And for those of you who are fans of my other fics, I'm gonna work on them as well. Okay, enough of my mindless rambling... I've kept you waiting for faaar too long. To my wondrous, amazing, dedicated fans;

**Chapter Fifteen- Thru A Man's Eyes**

I closed my eyes and fell asleep instantly; who knew flying all day could make you so tired? It must have been all the fresh air. For sometime, everything was dark, void of anything useful. I remembered to think of Peter, but not even his brilliant green eyes shone out of the darkness. I never was good at calculating dream time. As far as I could tell, it was never constant. What seemed like five years of absolutely nothing was in all actuality only ever five or six minutes.

So I waited patiently for something to come, feeling as though I'd be waiting all night, knowing full well that I was really only half asleep, therefore probably cheating myself out of minutes of glimpsing Peter in all his glory. Finally something clicked, and, like a light switch, my dream world became alive and I could see again.

But what I saw couldn't possibly be what was happening now, fore it had already happened. I felt as if I was flying again, looking down at what had happened at the breakfast table this, or rather yesterday, morning. I could see myself heaping in forkful after forkful of Peter's scrambled eggs, the sight made me cringe. I sat there watching myself when suddenly my world began to spin, like bathwater disappearing down the drain. Round and round everything seemed to spin; it got to the point where I had to close my eyes.

Upon opening them again I found that I was now viewing the scene from almost eye level with myself. I was about half a head taller than normal, and facing, eye to eye, myself. It was really quite odd, I couldn't figure out what was going on. I could hear myself droning on about Daisy and wanted to cringe again before slapping myself in the forehead. I sounded like such a moron! But I found that no matter how much I wanted to face palm, I couldn't. My body simply wouldn't obey me.

Instead, I got up to get more scrambled eggs for myself—er rather, my other self... my real self?

I couldn't figure it out! What on earth was going on?

Then, out of nowhere, I heard his laugh. It wasn't like an external hearing of sorts, but a mental, whispery one. It was quite and soft, not one of mockery but of pure, loving amusement. _"She really is cute when she eats so much. Not even Wendy would eat like her, she's like one of us."_

Of course I would hear his voice at a time like this. The voices! They were back... I found myself wondering over his "thoughts" if I was going bonkers again, and if the first time, there had been hot guys' voices in my head telling me to kill Miss Daisy... Heh, what were they going to have me do next? Oooh, yeah... Kill Peter.

_"Hmmm, this Daisy lady sounds like a challenge. I like challenges... but I like fighting pirates better. Beating some old lady just doesn't sound like fun... Maybe I could beat some sense into her father though... Then again, if I did that, he'd leave the chick and Jessie would go home. I don't want her to leave. If she leaves... I don't know what I'll do," _WAIT! I wanted to scream out, but of course, my body wasn't MY body... it was Peter's and obviously, it had a mind of it's own; one that I was being forced to listen to as it pondered about my story telling. God, I have the STRANGEST... what the heck was this anyway? It FELT real, but that didn't necessarily mean it was either.

_"It would be like losing Wendy all over again,"_ HAH! He DID love Wendy... maybe it just took him all these years to figure it out. Had he been staying in his own little world, collecting guilt and depression, knowing that Wendy had chosen to grow up with out him instead of staying young forever? A sudden wave of saddness washed over me, and it wasn't my own. It felt different, but somehow the same; depression anyway I looked at it. Was he trapped in his own little world of self loathing for something he really couldn't control? Would I be doing him a favor by ending his life instead of letting him suffer?

_"Only this time, it'd be worse, 'cuz I know now what I missed out on back then."_ He was lonely, I could feel it; I could sympathize with it. Being inside Peter's head, weird fantasy dream or not, wasn't what I thought it would be. There weren't random flashes of planned battle scenes. There weren't any weird emotions that I couldn't name. Oddest of all, his mind, somehow didn't feel cluttered, like a child's mind normally is. It's as if the growing process had begun to take hold of Peter's mind. The sorrow and loneliness Peter was never supposed to feel as "The Boy Who Would Never Grow Up", was slowly turning his mind into one that belonged solely to a man. Not only a man, but an old man, a young boy who had seen things way before his time; an old man who was introduced to heart break prematurely.

_"I wonder if she already wants to leave. What would I do? What could I do, if she... if she left? How could I possibly stop her?"_ Again, I could feel the loneliness overwhelm me. Peter had friends, but after Wendy, he was left looking to find something to fill the void in his heart. And let's face it, as a guy who is said to wear tights (he doesn't by the way... just leaves and torn up, older-than-sin trousers), he's not gay and the lost boys just couldn't cut it. First he had always been looking for a mother who cared, but after meeting Wendy, he was forced to see that there were other women that could love him too, and in a different way then a mother would. He wasn't lonely for friendship, he was aching for something more than friendship, at the age of twelve or thirteen. He felt he was missing out on something, that at his extended age of youth, should still have cooties and completely disgust him; but we didn't.

_"I could tie her to a tree and never let her go... I could have her be my prisoner... but then she wouldn't love me. She wouldn't be free... even if I TOLD her to love me; forced her to tell me she did, even when she didn't; it wouldn't be the same as... as..."_ It wouldn't be the same as free, unconditional love; but Peter wouldn't know that... and somehow, I didn't really either. All the same, Peter's mind ramble made me giggle, even if it was a silent, not even whispery in HIS head, kind of a laugh. I was thinking all the while, _"Nice, Peter. Reeeaaaal, nice. Tie me to a tree; how romantic. Tie me to that tree and just wait and see how much I love you... and just IMAGINE how much I'd loooove to express myself on that topic..."_- Okay, so maybe he was still a twelve-year-old boy in body AND mind.

Suddenly I was watching Tonya and myself make up, and oddly enough, I felt utterly confused. _"Weren't they just shouting at each other? How do they go from shouting to hugging in less than five minutes?... Girls..."_ I then proceeded to shrug off my confusion.

"Tell me about your pranks, Jessie," My voice, his voice, was actually resounding outside of my-- er, his head for once, and it was something odd to experience, and I'm not sure why. Maybe it was because I had been hearing his thoughts for so long, that I forgot that he wasn't mute, and could actually verbally communicate and get his point across... even if everything was jumbled up inside his head. _"Tell me about how clever you are. Brag to me like I would brag to Wendy about my feats. Take responsibility and pride in what you've done so far."_

Wow, I didn't realize guys thought that much! I mean, in general, they don't SAY anywhere near that much... So I'm dumb and assumed that just because they didn't SAY that much, meant that they didn't THINK that much either... Peculiar, a boy's mind.

I listened to myself drone on about my attempts to break Daisy's spirit. I watched myself smiling at Peter. At the time I was loving his undivided attention; his eyes boring into mine, as he had puzzled through my logic. Now I was in his shoes and the feeling, as I could tell, was almost mutual. HE was loving MY attention; seemingly almost wanting to drown in it. It was weird, I have to admit, to start feeling attracted to myself, even if I was viewing life through Peter's eyes. _"Yes, she really is amazing. Jessie would be a great addition to the Lost Boys. Imagine, Peter, all the possible pranks and stunts you could pull together against... against..."_

Against who, Peter? Who would we pull pranks on? Each other? Your worst enemy?

Not only are you lonely here, but you're also bored. Bored out of your mind, aren't you Peter? Nothing exciting has happened to you here, in Never Land, since Hook passed on. Nothing was worth living for. You're adventure was running dry. Your life is going nowhere but down, like the Never Land. Were you waiting for someone to save you from your boredom? Were you waiting for someone to resurrect Hook as much as you were looking for someone to love?

_"She stopped mid-sentence..."_ I saw Okami land on my shoulder, so I knew what was going through my mind, even if Peter didn't; but I hadn't realized at the time that I had stopped mid-sentence. _"Her smile is gone... She looks almost horrified... I wonder what's wrong-How does one go about asking that anyhow?"_

Brilliant. Peter could read me like an open book. If he knew something was up from the get-go, he was sure to be closer at hand than Okami and I had thought.

"Peter?" I saw myself cringe. Jeepers, I was going to have to watch my body language!

_"Guess I don't have to ask... Maybe she'll just end up telling me on her own. I wonder if I look worried about her. Maybe I should tone down my expressions. I don't want her to know that I'm thinking about her all the time."_ "Yah?" _"Play it cool, Peter. Play it cool..."_

"I really have to pee."

_"Heh." _Peter and I both really wanted to hit our... er his head right then. Maybe even mine, too. I could feel it. But he resisted. _"Girls sure are weird... all that emotion for a bathroom break?"_

"If you go around the back of the tree house you'll find this really big bush, you can use that right?"

Well, that would explain the twisted smile...

I saw myself nod expressionlessly. "Have any tp?"

"Tp?" _"What the heck is TP?!"_

"You know, toilet paper?"

"Oh." _"Now I feel dumb... Who wants to use that stuff anyway? Leaves are better... much softer and..."_ Oh, God, just what I wanted to hear from the man of my dreams; his toilet traumas... I swear! What the heck was my world coming to?

_"Jacob." _Peter's mental voice seemed to be snarling. Oooh, this is when Tonya's Lost Boy had thrown me the toilet paper and smiled! Peter was jeeeeealous! _"Stuuupid git! Now I feel even MORE stupid..."_

Peter wasn't even paying attention when I left. He was too caught up in his hurt pride. _"Toilet paper. Pfff. Toilet Paper. What kind of man knows that TP stands for Toilet paper... Boy... I mean boy! What kind of BOY knows what TP stands for?...Holy crap."_

Peter's mind worked in circles... I was beginning to see it already. No wonder he could defeat adults... the way his brain worked, if you didn't get confused, you'd have to be as mental as he was... _"Jacob is growing up! He's going to leave me. LOOK at how close he is that that girl... uhhh, what's her name... I know she's one of Jessie's friends... uhhh... crap."_

Niiiiice, Peter. Real nice. That's almost as good as tying me to a tree... Sheesh, how forgetful can a guy get? I mean I mentioned her name like fifty times at least during each of my little spiels. Had I been able to move either his or my own head, it would have been shaking, but as it was nothing happened my way.

"What's your name again?"

"Tonya." Her voice was cold. "How can you keep forgetting?"

_"How can you keep remembering?! Gosh, who ever came up with the idea for names, was insane. I know!"_ I felt a surge of pride well up in the pit of my stomach. "How about I call you number two?"

"Number two?"

"Yeah, I mean it's obvious that I will never remember your name... so I'll call you number two."

"I got that," She said slowly. "What I don't get is why the number two? Why not number one?"

"Because," -_ "She fell for it! Haha!_" Peter sure was pigheaded. "I am number one!"

I wanted to roll my eyes so bad, but being inside Peter's head, I obviously couldn't. Luckily, Tonya did me the honors of doing so. Unfortunately the good feeling didn't last long considering Peter was oblivious to it all.

Sudden boredom swept over me as Peter looked around. "I'm bored."

"Let's do more sword fighting!" Gary cheered, raising his wooden sword. I wasn't sure how I knew it was Gary, but I assumed that was Peter's brain functioning and not mine... then again, how he remembered Gary's name and not Tonya's was still a mystery...

Another lost boy jumped up, Andy, and grabbed his overly large twig of a sword, "Yeah! I'm all for a bit of action!"

"Guys..." the shortest of the group complained, but nobody heard him.

"Yeah!" Peter cheered. _ Fighting! That sounds like fun! We could fight Indians..._ "Here's the plan guys..."

And so, I as Peter, walked around for about an hour and a half, looking for Indians... They were about the only ones left around here... and apparently, there were so few of them that they were extremely hard to find.

"Peter!" Shorty cried out, for seemingly the third time.

"What?" I yelled back.

"I'm tired of this! You said this would be fun! But it isn't!" Shorty had stopped walking and was standing where he stood, pouting away, full blown temper tantrum syndrome just beginning to kick in. "I'm hungry and I want to go back home! NOW!"

I felt my eyes narrow and my own anger flare up. "It's not MY fault YOU can't find the fricking Indians, now is it?" Peter demanded.

"Oh yeah?" Shorty demanded. "Whose idea was it to come out here in the first place?"

"It wasn't MINE!" Peter snapped. "Gary wanted to fight."

"Don't blame ME!" Gary jumped in, sword raised. "I haven't seen EITHER of you spot an Indian! And besides! If Peter hadn't killed Hook, we could be fighting PIRATE butt right now... NOT standing here getting eaten alive by mosquitoes!"

"OH YEAH?" I was swept away again by that feeling I had experienced when Daisy had told me exactly what I had needed. I was ready to kill. My grasp on my metal sword tightened and my heart began to pound, forcing adrenaline-laced blood to roar past my ears.

I could barely hear my own battle cry, "I'LL GIVE YOU PIRATE ASS! FIGHT THIS!"

I clenched my right hand into a fist and threw it at Gary's face as hard as I could. Luckily for him, he ducked. Unfortunately, for Jacob, who had been standing behind him, my fist made contact with his left eye.

"God damn it!" Jacob gasped. "Peter! You-"

I felt a sharp pain in my lower leg. Glancing down, Peter realized at the same time that I did, that Jacob had kicked him hard enough in the shin to draw blood. "JACOB!" we growled in unison, although only Peter's voice was heard.

Peter wound up for another punch, restricting his anger as to not actually kill his Lost Boys, refusing to use his sword. I could feel his muscles tense, and as he released his fury at Jacob, I felt them contract. Impact was satisfying... until I heard Andy cry out in pain, but even that couldn't suppress the endorphines now flitting through my veins.

Before I knew it, I was getting pounded on by half of my Lost Boys, the others were on my side, good ol' Johnny, Jimmy and Joey. Had I not hit Jacob, he'd be on my side too... stuuupiid Gary. At some point, I had lost my sword, and was throwing punches with both fists. Jimmy had lost three teeth total, but he was still kicking like the dickens, so we fought on.

"Peter!" Someone was calling my name, but I couldn't tell whose it was. As high as it was, it could have only been Shorty's, so I ignored it.

"Peter!" The voice continued to shout.

"Jacob! Peter!" It only seemed to know our two names, mine and Jacob's.

"THAT'S IT!" I felt someone tug on my hair like no other before.

Jacob's cry out beat mine though, as someone yanked on his ear. "OOOUCH! Mother-"

"Watch you're mouth." Tonya's voice was as cold as ice. "I said enough was enough and I meant it. One more punch and I'm going to give every single one of you a sex change right here and now. Is that clear?"

I heard Shorty whimper, but otherwise there was silence as we all pulled basketball crotch blocks. "Good."

My hair was released as was Jacob's ear. "Where's Jess?"

_Jessica_. The name, my name, it flooded my memory as it did Peter's. I was Jessica, not Peter. I was simply watching what had happened earlier through Peter's eyes. I felt nauseous.

Tonya jabbed Peter in the stomach and repeated, "Where is Jessica?"

Tonya's tiny, girly punch, seemed to have been the end of Peter's fighting, he turned his head and I felt it as he blow chunks all over Gary who had been on the ground, cradling a bruised arm.

"Gross!" Gary cried, standing up in a panic, this morning eggs dangling from his hair.

"I bet she's at home, wondering where the rest of us are. I bet you she's scared, Peter," Jacob's voice was taunting, and only caused Peter to give a dry heave conceived by pure panic.

"We can't go anywhere if Peter doesn't stop throwing up." Shorty picked up on the taunt, now carrying the burning torch.

"Why you little..." My vision heightened as Peter straightened his back, I saw Shorty shrink back in fear. "Let's head back towards the tree house."

Peter seemed to know exactly where he was, because he found the tree house easily. They had all been wondering for at least an hour, but after the fight, it had taken him less than twenty minutes to get them all back. The first thing he did was run to check the inside. "Jessie?"

It felt weird to fell my, er- his lips, say my name. "Jessie, are you here?"

"Peter!" Jimmy's voice called from outside. "Peter! You'd better come see this!"

Peter dashed outside and our eyes locked on my mud note at the same instant.

"I can't tell what it says!" Shorty complained.

Peter on the other hand, could read it perfectly well, which, for some reason threw me. _Peter_, he read silently. _I'm begging you to forgive me, but I had to leave to save Tink and Okami. I have to betray you to save them, BUT please, please don't take your new found hatred of me out on them. I can't blame you for hating me, but if you hurt them, I'll have to beat Hook to you so I can beat you up for it. You hear me? Well, I'd better go, DO NOT FOLLOW ME. Jessie .heart._

Suddenly, my vision blurred. _She left me ?_ God, at that moment, no matter how hard it had been at home, I wished that I had never come to the Never Land._ Where did she go? What makes her feel that she could ever truly betray me? I don't... I don't understand._

I felt a part of me die as Peter re-read the note I had left him. I knew he knew, without having to hear his thoughts. I knew that he knew I was going to bring back his worst enemy. I knew he knew.

"Peter? Peter, what's wrong?" Jacob asked him.

"You guys remember where we buried Hook's body?" He asked slowly.

Peter didn't have to look up from my note for me to see all the Lost Boy's shake their heads. "We've got to beat Jessica there if we don't want to die..."

I wanted to close my eyes. I wanted to close my mind from his stream of thoughts. I wanted to close my heart to his suffering. And all of a sudden, my wish was granted, and I was left alone, with only his tears still streaming down my face. It felt so lonely, so cold, to be the only one in my head anymore.

Opening my eyes, I saw a concerned Okami staring at me. It was then that I realized that the tears on my face were my own, and no matter how much I wanted to close my heart to Peter's pain, it was physically impossible, because we both carried the same heart break.

**Author's Notes**: I'm sorry guys, I was struggling with some MAJOR writer's block there, and I know it shows. I'm sorry it took so long and that this chapter sucks so bad. Thanks for sticking with me tho, and reading this far. You guys really are amazing.


	16. Revival of the Devil

**Peter Pan**

**A Young Boy No More**

By Raekitty13

**Disclaimer: **Yeah... still not James Matthew Barrie. Sorry to disappoint you.

**Author's Notes: **thank yous go out to MistFairie93 & dAnnYsGiRl777! Thank you ever so much! You guys are truly amazing.

Okay, so there was this Final Jeopardy question the other night, about Children's Authors. I told my dad that I totally bet all I had... (not that I had anything at all) and the question was something along the lines of: "This author lost his mother at the age of 8 and knew that someday all play things would have to come to an end and he would have to grow up" or something like that, and I shouted, and I DO mean SHOUTED, "JAMES MATTHEW BARRIE! Sir James Matthew Barrie if you want to get technical because he was knighted in England but I'm not sure if he lost his mother at 8, I know he lost his brother when he was little and his mother died shortly after because his brother was her favorite and..." -- sorry, random tangent, just figured you'd wanna know just how obsessed I am... lolz jks

And uh, sorry about all of the improper grammer, horrid spelling, time it took to update this and the lack of well written material.

**Chapter Sixteen- Revival of the Devil**

"_Are you sure you want to do this?"_ Okami asked me for the third time in a row as we climbed to the edge of the volcano on our stomachs.

"Do we really have any other choice?"

"_Yes."_

"No," I said pointedly. "I am not selling you and Tink out for some guy."

"_Is he really just 'some guy', Jess?"_

I couldn't answer at first. I wanted to say, "Yeah, duh," but I couldn't. I just couldn't bring myself to tell a lie so huge, so fake. I couldn't say that Peter was just 'some guy' because he wasn't, was he?

And Fuzzy Wazzy wasn't fuzzy either, was he? Gah... I just wanted to cry, right then and right there, again. Crying was just about all I had accomplished over the past two hours. After waking up from what had turned out to be a nightmare, I hadn't moved at all for the longest time. I couldn't. I was stuck, sobbing my heart out.

Not that crying did me any good. I knew that, but I still couldn't use that information to save Okami. I knew that crying wasn't going to save him and Tink. I knew that crying wasn't going to resurrect Hook. I knew that I had to stop crying. But it was so hard, not only because it hurt, but because I knew that crying would save Peter. And no matter how many times I told myself the little white lie that Peter meant nothing to me compared to Tink and Okami, I just couldn't believe it, just like I couldn't stop crying.

Gah! Boys, crying, heartbreak, it was all a vicious cycle. Would it ever stop?

It had to. And it had to end now.

I sniffled as dignifyingly as I could have (come on, this was like my fortieth time just randomly bursting into tears. Twenty times of which, I was stagnant).

"Let's do this." I was waiting for Okami to ask me if I was sure I was ready to do this, but he didn't. He must have been thinking along the same lines as me.

We were wasting time.

I closed my eyes and finally managed to pull myself over the ledge. The feeling of impending doom, which I generally feel when I'm five hundred feet above ground, mind you, began to set in even before I opened my eyes. I could feel the gravity pulling on me from every which direction. I opened my eyes slowly, positive that I had started to tip, head over heels into the very pit of the volcano.

I hadn't, but with my eyes open, I was terrified to breathe. I swear, if I were to let out too much air too quickly, I'd end up a Jessica Elisiah Liteman pancake, squashed by my own weight four hundred feet below where I was teetering.

"SEARCH FOR MY BODY. YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEE IT. WHEN YOU DO, I WILL APPEAR AND YOU CAN LEAVE."

"Holy fucking shit!" So much for not exhaling too quickly. I mean, completely throw that idea of staying out of the volcano right out the window- er, right off the cloud?

Hook's comment scared me and I lost what little balance I had in the process of jumping out of my skin. I was falling, fast. I wanted to scream, but opening my mouth only sucked what little air there had been in my lungs out, leaving me both stomach-less and breathless.

I just kept falling. Four hundred, five hundred, how ever far up were were, it was pretty far up, and let me just say that, even at the speed I was falling- which was bloody fast- was going to take me forever to actually reach the bottom.

Suddenly I felt what little air I had left rush out of me as gravity kicked back into gear. And kick it did, I felt as if all my bones had been crushed to dust. Specifically in my torso area.

"Uhg," gasped a deep voice from somewhere below me. Who had I landed on? How were they still alive? How was I still alive?

"God, Jessie," It was when he said my name that I realized I was crying again. I don't know if it was because I had known it was his voice all along, or because I seriously thought I was going to die. Dying would have been so much easier... "Eat enough sad thoughts at breakfast? I swear you've gained like twenty bazillion pounds between then and now... Seriously! Happy thoughts would be fantastic right about now.. how about now? Now? Happy thoughts, Jess... Happy thoughts! HAPPY THOUGHTS!"

I continued to sob and we, Peter and I, continued to fall. While he had added friction to fall, It wasn't enough to halt my downward spiral, actually it was more like sandpaper against already worn skin. My fall was beginning to pick up momentum once again, and at a sickening pace.

"You know," Peter said, unperturbed by the fact that we were falling to our untimely deaths. "I was serious when I asked you to stay with me forever in Never Land. And that offer still holds true. Jessie, I don't hate you. I could never hate you. Let's turn back now. Let's turn back and live together, happily ever after. We still have a chance."

**Stay with me forever. I don't hate you, could never hate you. Jessie. Together. Happily ever after. Together.**

His words instantly made my heart feel light. And suddenly, we weren't falling any more. I didn't dare to open my eyes, but his arms tightened around my waist. We were now headed back up, no longer free falling.

"It's okay," Peter assured me, and I realized I was still crying, my face buried in his chest. "It's all right, Jessie."

I was going to nod, but instead, I simply moved my head from his chest to his shoulder. He wasn't angry with me. I betrayed him and he still wanted me to stay with him. Why?

**He's lying.** I realized it the moment I looked at his face. It was etched in pain, he was hurting. The words he had said, were said for both his benefit and mine. They were only said to save us, not because he actually meant them. While his voice had been convincing his face was an open book.

I turned away from his face as if my own had been scorched, burnt by his sun kissed looks. We were at the edge of the volcano, I could feel solid ground beneath my feet. Or at least I could, until I saw it. At first I couldn't even tell what it was. It just looked like a lump of white.

It wasn't until I felt the chill of Hook's ghost that I realized I had locked my eyes upon his body. Before I knew it, the ground was trembling violently, the only thing holding me up right was a very scared looking Peter. I saw Hook rush down to his body, and I knew, somewhere in my body that we were all in danger as the world shook again.

"It's going to blow!" I heard one of the lost boy's shout.

"Let's go!" Peter yelled, dragging me by the arm away from the mess I had created.

As soon as we were off the volcano and halfway back to Peter's I felt the sky rip open behind us, stirring the wind and clouds into a swirling vortex of horror. Now, not only the ground was rocking back and forth, but the sky was eating itself and anything in it's path.

"Peter, the Never Land isn't going to make it. Once that Volcano blows..." Jacob whispered.

"So does the Never Land," Peter finished, looking as mad as I was starting to feel. "Think I don't know that? I've know the Never Land was falling apart for a while now. After All, it is a part of me."

"Then why did you want me to stay?" I demanded.


	17. The Last Bargaining Chip

**Peter Pan**

**A Young Boy No More**

By Raekitty13

**Disclaimer:** After all this time, do I really need to post a disclaimer? Really? Would a TRUE author like J.M. Barrie leave you hanging THIS long? Yeah… didn't think so. Please see **Author's Apologies **below…

**Author's Notes: **thank yous go out to YourLipsMyBiggestWeakness, Animelover1002 && Blood Midnight && to ALL of my previous && current readers. You guys ROCK. Not even kidding.

**Author's Apologies: **Here I am, groveling for your forgiveness upon my knees. Look me in the eyes and tell me that you hate me for being such a lazy, good for nothing fanfiction author that has abandoned her most faithful readers && critics… and then re-read what you've forgotten and carry on [if you can find it in your soul to do so, like I know you can! You've made it this far, haven't you?]. Again, I'm groveling here people && only you have the power to forgive my negligence. I'd tell you that to make it up to you I'll never be late on a post again, but we both know that'd just be another lie, so I'll spare you the heartache [although said heartache may very well exist only in MY mind… don't pop my precarious bubble! I'll tell Jess that you're Hook && set her loose on you—wait… what kind of apology is this? … Wow, do I fail or what? Carry on then…]

But in all seriousness, I'm super sorry, guys. Did I mention you all rock?

Like literally, R-O-C-K.

**Chapter Seventeen- The Last Bargaining Chip**

"Peter, the Never Land isn't going to make it. Once that Volcano blows..." Jacob whispered.

"So does the Never Land," Peter finished, looking as mad as I was starting to feel. "Think I don't know that? I've know the Never Land was falling apart for a while now. After All, it is a part of me."

"Then why did you want me to stay?" I demanded.

"Because here you're in my house, here I'm the best you're going to get. Here, I'm the top dog, the biggest competition. Here I don't have to worry about losing my good looks to old age, or my patience to raising kids. Here I can make the world out to be anything I want." Peter supplied. "Here, this is what I'm used to, boring and broken as it is."

"But it's going to die, Peter. It's going to die and swallow every single one of us with it when it goes," I stressed. "How can you be so cowardice? How can you assume that death would be more fun than growing up?"

"You don't think it'd be scary to die?" Peter asked, his voice a quite calm before the storm.

"Oh, I know it would be scary-"

"So who are you to call me a coward?" He bellowed. "I'm not afraid to die. I'm not afraid to be loyal. I'm not afraid to stay here. Unlike the rest of you. If you ask me, growing up is just your way of avoiding death."

"Maybe it I," I told him, "But at least I know that I'll die in the end. I'm just trying to get as much out of life as I can. Didn't you learn that the first time the girl you loved walked away? Don't you feel lonely here, Peter?"

"I'd rather be lonely than be forced into school, and then a job. Responsibility isn't fun."

"But you've shown all kinds of responsibility here, raising your Lost Boys, saving my life countless times, Peter, you're more responsible than you give yourself credit for," I couldn't take my eyes off of him. He wasn't really listening. I could see it in his face. His thoughts were elsewhere, anger was calling the shots, every other emotion suppressed into the trunk of his mind.

Etched plainly across his face was the question "How dare you call me a coward?"

"Times have changed, Peter," I told him quietly. "Work doesn't mean a desk job anymore. You can be whatever you want. Personally, you'd make an excellent street cop. Or a fireman, you could even be a professional stunt double. Or you could play video games all day."

"For real?" Andy asked. "I could get PAID to play video games all day?"

"What's a video game?" Asked Shorty, apparently despite his younger age, he had been here the longest out of all the other Lost Boys because he was the only one not excited about the idea of getting paid to test out video games.

"Believe me," Jimmy told him. "I'd be like getting paid to be a kid forever, except you'd get to grow older. Possibly get a girlfriend as pretty as Jacob's."

He was looking at Tonya funny, like he was sizing her up and I didn't like it.

Neither did Jacob apparently because despite his blistering blush he wacked Jimmy upside the head. "Can it, James. She's not my girlfriend."

"So I can have her?" Jimmy asked as Shorty cringed.

"No!" Tonya and Jacob insisted at the same time, both of their faces turning red.

"Girls have cooties!" Shorty exclaimed synonymously with Tonya and Jacob, "Right, Peter?"

"They're poison to a boy's mind, that's for sure," Peter said, giving me the stink eye. "Look't what she's done," he was now pointing at me with one hand and waving the other around the clearing. The ground shook again as if to further demonstrate his point, ash falling all around us like dirty gray snow. "She's brought back Hook. She's going to kill us all."

"No she's not. Are you, Jess?" Tonya demanded, eyes steely hard. "There's a way to save us all, but you'll have to give up Never Land, Peter."

"Never! You can't make me. I refuse to grow up!" Peter stomped his feet, planting them firmly in the ground. "But if any of the rest of you are feeling like cowards, by all means, run away with the two pretty girls and grow up. Go to school and get a job. I'm not gonna run from death with my tail between my legs. I'm gonna stand up and fight it like a m-"

"Like a man, Peter?" I asked quietly. "Don't you see? You've already grown up. Your mind is so far advanced. Women do poison the minds of men. Look at my father and Miss Daisy. She's got him wrapped around his little finger. He thinks he's in love. She thinks it's all just a game. You can see through her bull shit the same as I can.

"So you can see my point of wanting to fight it with childish pranks. Growing up doesn't mean you can't stay young at heart. It just means that you give up the right to throw temper tantrums and be reliant on people. But you gave most of that up years ago. How many little boys do you know of that live on their own?

"Peter, even your lost boys have a father figure."

"We do?" Gary demanded, slightly confused. "Who?"

"Me," Peter said quietly.

"You always did enjoy playing house," Tonya confirmed. "Great grandma Wendy could never stop talking about how you were the father and she was the mother."

"But not all relationships end that way," I hastily added, twiddling my fingers. "Some relationships are meant to last forever."

I looked up at him then, and caught his gaze. He was still really angry, but at least he was listening now.

"Like my mum and my dad," I told him. "That was a relationship that was meant to last forever. The only thing that got in the way was my mum's death. And she didn't choose it. You don't get to choose when you die. So stop being stubborn, Peter, this isn't the end. If you're really all about adventures then look at it this way. Growing up is just another adventure, another chapter. It's not an end, just a continuation. It might be scary on your own, but we'll do it together. You and me. Happily ever after."

So I was trying to use his own words against him. Hopefully it would work. Hopefully he would listen. Tonya was right. Nobody had to die. If he would stop being a stubborn coward, my actions wouldn't even be a betrayal. If anything what I had done would just pull him out of his rut.

I wanted him to trust me. I wanted him to forgive me. I wanted him to live with me forever, in the real world. I needed him to take this leap of faith for me, like I had taken a leap of faith for him when he had pulled me out of my bedroom window, into the night sky. I needed to save him like he had saved me.

But was this need, this want, this urge, just my way of trying to ease my own guilt? Was I just trying to erase what I had done? Was I just trying to make things right in my own mind? Was I just trying to save myself?

"Stop tainting my mind," Peter moaned. "I'm not your prince charming. I'm never going to grow up and to be fair, you're no princess either. Princesses don't go against the ones they love."

I didn't have a choice! No matter how much I wanted to shout it at him, I couldn't. My mouth wouldn't work. My breath and caught in my throat again. I just wanted to cry.

Did I love him?

He had a point, I had gone against him. But I had done it for Okami. I had done it to save my fairy. I had done it because I didn't know then like I knew now, how much it was going to kill me to watch Peter die. I couldn't lose him.

I needed him, whether I wanted to admit it or not.

"Peter," I cried. "Please don't do this."

"Get out of here. Take the Lost Boys, take the fairies, and take whatever else you want, just get the hell out of here and leave me alone. I don't ever want to talk to you again. I don't ever want to see you again. Thanks for killing me off by the way; you've at least managed to grant me my last wishes."

"Peter!" Don't be such a jerk, I wanted to add, but I knew that to some degree he was being an ass for my sake. It's easier to leave someone behind if they tear your heart out and stomp on it a little bit. "Peter, please!"

"I said get out! Leave! Vamoose!" Leave while you still can, his face betrayed his angry demeanor. He was scared, scared for all of us, himself included. So why wouldn't he just leave with us.

I held out my hand to him and he turned away. "Don't touch me."

"Peter," but the other Lost Boys and Tonya had taken his warning seriously. They had gathered up needed supplies and were dusting themselves with Okami's fairy dust. Someone grabbed my wrist, but I didn't even turn to see who it was. I didn't care.

I felt Okami's dust trickle down my head, coating my body in its golden radiance. But I would never be able to life off of the ground. My heart was filled with dread, my thoughts as heavy as lead. Peter wasn't going to come with me. He would rather die than grow up with me.

I was never anything more to him than Wendy had been. He didn't love me. He didn't even know me. I didn't even know him.

So why did it hurt so much? How come it felt like my heart was being ripped in two, if I didn't even love him? If he was only a stranger? If he didn't mean anything more to me than I did to him, why did it feel like the world was collapsing?

"Maybe because it is", a little voice in the back of my mind reminded me. The same voice that had me convinced that killing Daisy was the only way to win my dad back. The same voice that had told me for years that I was never anything better than scum. The same voice that told me that it was my fault my mother had never come back. "The world is literally crumbling around you. And it's all your fault. Proud of yourself now, Jessica? You've managed to wreck both of your homes, both of your worlds. First the one with your father, now the one with Peter. You just don't belong anywhere, do you?"

"_Peter," _the faint twinkle, I recognized as Tinkerbell, was trying to convince him this time. _"Stop being stupid this instant. You have to come with us. I won't leave without you and Okami won't leave without me. Without Okami, Jessica won't leave either and you'll kill us all."_

Peter glared at Tinkerbell. "You're not my fairy. You've betrayed me as much as Jessica has. You'll leave and you'll do it now. Tinkerbell that's an order!"

"_You can't boss me around if I'm no longer your fairy!"_ Tinkerbell told him defiantly.

"Tink you have exactly two seconds to hightail it over there with the rest of them or I'm gonna squash you like a bug."

"_You wouldn't dare."_

"Watch me!" Peter took two steps toward her and clapped his hands, narrowly missing her. "Get the hell out of my life you stupid pest."

Tinkerbell let out a sob. Peter wasn't kidding. He hated us all.

I held out my hand to her, and she landed there with only a moment's hesitation, crying her heart out like I was. Being disowned was harsh. It was cruel. And it was unnecessary.

"I'm sorry, Tink."

"_Don't talk to me. This is all your stupid fault. If you stupid girls would just leave him alone! He'd never be in this predicament in the first place."_

"You mean if stupid girls wouldn't come here all the time you wouldn't be forced to side with Hook all the time? Jesus, Tinkerbell. This is the THIRD time you've helped him over me! THE THIRD TIME!" Peter bellowed. "Some friend you ever were."

"Hey," I barked, voice hollow, but deadly. "Cut the fairy some slack. You're a right foul git, you know that? So selfish. Look at you! You'd rather die than grow up because in the real world you're afraid nobody's gonna play the game the way you want to. You don't know how to cheat the system in the real world so you don't wanna play at all. Maybe you really do deserve to die in this hell hole."

"Never Land isn't a hell hole," Shorty proclaimed. "And I've been in the real world. I don't ever want to go back. This is my safe haven. If Peter's allowed to stay, then so am I."

"Get out of here," Peter hollered at him.

"No," he planted his feet squarely in the mud, same as Peter, mimicking his stance to a T. "If you're staying so am I."

"Go!"

"No! You can't make me!" He sounded just like Peter. And it nearly broke my heart again. He looked like a little boy following his father around. He wanted to be just like daddy.

"Peter!" he shouted, as Peter shoved him at me.

"Take the kids and get out of here. NOW!" Peter yelled at me, and suddenly we were gone.

I don't know how it happened, or where everything went, but in one loud bang the world exploded and everything went dark.


	18. A Reason to Live

**Peter Pan**

**A Young Boy No More**

By Raekitty13

**Disclaimer:** I got nothing. Except lotsa stuff to do && no time, whatsoever.

**Author's Notes: **thank yous are awarded to - Ks21178 && HollyRebeccaBarnard

I couldn't just walk away from your guys' reviews! The last chapter wasn't the end && this chapter is a testament to that. However, I can't promise when the next one will be posted. A new semester is about to start && I have other commitments as far as writing goes as well. Thanks again for being ever faithful && patient. You're all absolutely freaking AHMAZING if you're currently reading this, and I mean it with all of my heart.

THANK YOU!

**Chapter Eighteen- A Reason to Live**

Everything went black. That's all I remembered.

Eternal darkness.

It never lifted. Never went away. But in the background I could hear the sounds of my life playing out before me. It was like I was refusing to open my eyes and see. Maybe I was blind. Whatever the reason, I didn't care.

I was praying I was dying.

This is what happened right before death, right? You see all of your memories, starting from your first remembered childhood memory followed by another and another until finally you remember your last moment.

The one where you die.

I heard my mum and my dad first. Together. Just the two of them, and annoying Christmas music playing faintly in the background. They were saying my name, calling my attention away from the presents under the tree I couldn't see, toward the camcorder my dad was wielding. It must've been the first Christmas I remembered. The one where I got my first Barbie doll. The one I flushed down the toilet not even three weeks later when I learned that she couldn't bend her arms or legs.

Then I heard my mother whispering her goodbye to me. I could feel her counting my fingers with me. I felt the dread of never seeing her again, the twinge of foreshadowing, and the nausea of her death swelling into the memory. I can't tell where one starts and the other ends.

It just hurts.

All I can feel is pain. All I can hear is silence. There are a couple of attempts at conversation in the dark, the voice of my father, a psychiatrist, teachers, friends… all silence in comparison to the roaring void where my mother's voice should have been.

And then a light enters my life, and uplifting sound. It's Tonya's voice and memories of our childhood fill my vision and my ears, but the world isn't Technicolor. It's black and white. But I can see.

And I can feel.

I can feel her warmth. I can feel her affection. I finally have a best friend who is all mine. She wouldn't leave me for the world.

We're playing in the mud one moment, Ken dolls covered from head to toe, making mud pies the next at an older age, hiding the goop beneath actual frosting, feeding it to my father's first potential second wife. There were moments on the school playground. The stories her mother would tell us about Peter Pan, the Boy Who Never Grew Up.

There were even the most recent memories of Little Miss Daisy. How I worked by myself and with Tonya to get rid of her. There was the vomit scene, spaghetti-o's on her dress and frilly shoes, salmon flavor fresh on my tongue. The minty fresh scent of her toilet seat reached my noise last, leaving a refreshing taste in my mouth instead of the vile vomit. But my sight was receding. She had grounded me from seeing Tonya. She'd told Tonya that I hated her.

She'd taken away my only source of light.

And then my vision came back to me in the dark of night. When a small frame alighted on my window, snuggled beneath my bed sheets with me that brisk fall night. It flickered in and out. Like a flame on the breeze.

And then, with his brilliant green eyes, he rescued me. In the heat of the moment, right when I had breached my breaking point. Right after I had smashed my father's arm. Right after I had almost killed Daisy. He had saved me.

He had brought the color to my life.

I'd never noticed it before that moment. But in retrospect, the metamorphosis is clear, if not highlighted in florescent yellow.

He was the light of my life.

He was the color.

He was my everything.

Try as I might, I couldn't open my eyes. The darkness wouldn't fade.

He was my everything. And now he was gone. Just like my mother, but worse.

Now I understood. Now it really was my fault. I could have saved him. I should have saved him.

I didn't want to open my eyes.

I wanted to die.

I wanted to be with him again.

I should have stayed. I should have put my foot down. I should have reached out to him. I could have brought him with me. With us.

But where was I?

Who was left with me?

I didn't know. Didn't want to know.

And then I had to. What if he was here? What if I wasn't about to die? What if he wasn't about to die? What if we were together some place safe?

What if it had all been a simple dream—a trick of my imagination?

What if I really was crazy?

The first real sensation I felt outside of my flashbacks was wetness leaking down my face. I was crying. Alive, but crying. The pain wasn't so much physical as it was emotional. I had an aching throb going on behind my left eye and I still wasn't ready to open either. There was a dull pain in my already injured wrist and my ankle felt twisted out of place. But none of these physical woes was why I was crying.

There was a gaping hole in my heart. One that started off as a snag when my mother left, was torn open when she died, stitched back together with Tonya's friendship, pulled apart by Daisy, flash-frozen by the potential of being with Peter forever and brutally crushed by my own stupidity. My heart was shattered because I couldn't stay faithful to the boy I had a crush on. The man I had one day hoped to love, to marry, have kids with.

I killed him. Killed that man he was to become.

If by some freak accident he had managed to live, there was no way in hell he'd come to my world now. He was lost to me forever.

I was crazy. And I had managed to rub off on him too. Crazy is as crazy does.

Apparently that saying is similar to monkey see, monkey do.

Had I affected Tonya too?

The next real sensation I felt was something warm and soft pressing against my hands. No, make that two somethings warm and soft.

Their purrs reached my ears in chime-like vibrations. They almost seemed to be uttering soothing words. Words that weren't spoken in English, but a language of music. Words I recognized, but couldn't translate.

Like words spoken by fairies.

Fairies?

My eyes fluttered open then, a slight amount of light trickled in through my open window. My phone was where I left it on the floor, bloodied and mangled, kinda like I remembered my father's arm, kinda like the way I had wished Daisy's face to look, kinda like the way my heart felt, utterly broken and useless.

It looked like I had never left. Like I had never been rescued. Like Peter had never been betrayed.

Perhaps I was dreaming. Maybe I really was crazy.

Then, suddenly, there, at either elbow was a small kitten, barely bigger than the palm of my hands. The one on the left was a black kitten whose fur was so dark it appeared to have a purple tint to it.

_Prince Okami_ he seemed to radiate, or perhaps purr.

The one on my right was such a delicate white that she seemed to sparkle.

_Tinkerbell_.

I hadn't been dreaming. I had found the solution to all of my problems.

And then destroyed it.

I must really be a glutton for punishment, I told myself silently and the sound of a roaring engine reached my ears.

My dad was back, his feet pounding up the stairs. "Jessica! Jessica!"

I couldn't respond. My vocal cords wouldn't obey, even if I had something worth saying.

"Jessica, sweetie, I'm sorry. Daddy's back. Daddy's home and he's not angry with you sweet heart," I didn't remember slamming my door, but maybe he had done that when he left. He didn't enter my room, he just stood outside my door repeating that he loved me and that he was home now, that he never should have left. "Jessica…"

Despite my lack of answer, he never entered the room. He stood outside my door, repeatedly calling my name, waiting for an answer.

Maybe he wasn't angry, but he was afraid. But afraid of what? That I was still in my blood lust, Out to Kill The World phase? Or that I was dead, had taken my life in a last passionate attempt to win his attention, his affections? Maybe he was hoping that I would just be gone, like I should have been.

"Jessica, there's someone out here to talk to you. Jessica," he seemed to be steeling himself for something. It took him forever to get to this point and I wasn't about to ruin it.

It was then that I vowed myself into silence.

"Jessica, I'm opening the door now."

It was also then that I decided that if Daisy entered the room I would find a way to commit suicide. I figure I'm already going to Hell AND I've already killed the other man in my life, why not bring EVERYBODY down with me?

But she didn't enter the room.

It was my old psychiatrist. I could recall his voice before he even opened his mouth. It sounded just like it had in my flashback.

"Hello, Jessica. Your father tells me you've been a bad girl lately. Would you like to talk about it?" He smiled at me, not in a frightening manner, but in a friendly way.

Unfortunately for him I wasn't in a friendly mood. "According to my father's latest whore, it's because I don't have a mother figure," okay, so we all knew I wouldn't be able to keep silent, despite my pain. I couldn't hold it all to myself. I had to share it. And it wasn't going to be physical pain I shared. I saw where that got me… and I didn't particularly like it.

I lowered my voice and continued, "But between you and me, its just because she's a bitch. It was either kill or be killed, if you know what I mean. She tried to smother me with a pillow one night. Guess I was snoring too loud."

I was shooting for a sharp, resounding, "JESSICA LITEMAN! YOU MUSTN'T TELL LIES!"

Or maybe even a hideous squeal of annoyance and denial from a currently hidden Miss Daisy.

But instead all I got was a very surprised, "Did she really? When did this happen? Jessica, I need all of the details here," from my psychiatrist.

I knew by the tone of his interest that he wasn't buying what I said, but he was going to hear me out. He was going to give me the attention he thought I was deprived of.

Maybe that was my problem.

"I'm lying," I say, deciding to skip the role playing. "I just want her dead. I can't stand the sound of her voice. She's a controlling neat freak. Every time she tells me what I need I just want to jab a pencil in my eye. I'm a bad child. Can you put me on pills for my psychotic behavior or do I need to do something myself to ease the tension in the household?"

I mimed slitting my throat with my forefinger, stopping midway through. "Oh wait! I already did that by bashing my dad's arms to bits."

The psychiatrist watched me patiently. "Why do you think her voice annoys you so, Jessica? Why are you acting out so?"

"Because," I answer simply, looking him dead in the eyes lies long gone. "My life sucks. I want to die."

He didn't back down from my stare. "You're still acting out."

"Look, can't you just lock me away in my little white jump suit in the room with the white padded walls. I'm done here," I gestured toward my room, meaning my life. I really was done. I wanted out.

"I think this is the best place for you," he told me. "Your father has invited me to move in with the three of you. It'll be like old times, Jessica."

"The three of us?" I demanded. "First of all, you've never lived in my house and second of all, there haven't been three of us living under one roof since my mother died, or have you forgotten that?"

"Miss Daisy is going to move in to talk care of your father. I'm moving in to take care of you," he explained softly.

"Oh hell no!"

"If I don't move in," he started, misinterpreting my rejection. "You'll have to move out."

"In that case, let's pack my bags 'cuz I'm sure as hell not staying in the same damned house as that wench."

"Jessica, that's not proper language."

"I'll give you proper fucking language," I snarled. "I'm not living in the same god damned house as that fucking bitch. WRITE that in your god damned little white shitty-assed notebook, Freedmen."

"That's more like the girl I know," He said with a sad smile. "So much anger, but such vivid life. I see you've got yourself some new friends here. What are their names?"

He was motioning toward my cats, and I pulled them into my lap protectively. "If I kill them will you get me out of this fucking house?"

"Not a chance," He said darkly. "I'll make you spend every waking moment of your life with Miss Daisy."

"Thank you god for giving me the ability to love cats," I sing eagerly. "Will you now grant me a noose and a foot stool?"

"Jessica," Freedmen's dark brown eyes look hurt and worried, but his voice conveys nothing, just like I remember it, smooth as silk. I never really noticed how young he looks. "Enough with the suicide jokes. You're beginning to worry your father. The last thing he needs is a heart attack."

"Please tell me that if he dies I'll go into foster care."

"Miss Daisy is your legal guardian."

"Mother fucking asshole!" I scream, jumping to my feet. "You'd better be lying!"

"I am not. Now sit down, Jessica," he commanded calmly. "The hospital has judged your father unfit, and has named Miss Daisy your guardian should we fail in this house arrangement. I suggest you at least pretend to like this scenario if you don't wish to make your life a living hell."

"Don't you listen? Jesus Christ, it's your fucking job, moron! MY LIFE IS HELL. They're one in the SAME. Unclog your ears, open your EYES. I've got nothing left to live for."

"_Don't you though?"_

I couldn't tell if Dr. Freedmen had said it, or one of the purring cats rubbing urgently at my ankles.

Again, I noted that there were two of them. Not one. Not just MY fairy cat.

But two.

Two.

One was mine.

The other, the other was TINKERBELL.

Peter's fairy.

Peter's fairy was still alive.


	19. Wherefore aren't thou Pan?

**Peter Pan**

**A Young Boy No More**

By Raekitty13

**Disclaimer:** Umm, so the last chapter totally should've had a better disclaimer. Something along the lines of "Jessica gets really mad. If you don't like cursing you should probably skip this chapter." So I apologize for the lack of warning AND the late post.

**Author's Notes:**thank yous are awarded to - xXxSlytherinAtHeartxXx , Loslanna, Silver Eyed Slayer and anyone who has dared to read this far. Fear not for the end is in sight!

**Chapter Nineteen- Wherefore aren't thou Pan?**

Days turned into weeks, weeks into month, months into years as I desperately searched for Peter. My anger slowly ebbed away and as time progressed, so did my hope of ever finding him again. However, my faith in his wellbeing was always renewed when I looked upon my white Tinkerbell. She was the sole reason I continued living. Because of her existence I was able to believe that I hadn't killed the boy of my dreams. To her I felt I owed everything.

Nothing unusual ever seemed to happen. There were never any transfer students with gorgeous, skin kissed hair or unnaturally charming bright green eyes. All students seemed so dull to me. Never quite jumping out at me as he had, my Peter. As far as other students at Lake View High School went, there were never any all that interested in me either. Not even Tonya.

Since my shrink had moved in with me, my social life had hit rock bottom. And I didn't mind. Social interactions required that you behaved nicely and could at the very least hold a civil conversation. It was much more my style to simply let the world think I had dived pretty far off the deep end and was some kind of antisocial shy kid than to attempt arbitrary chit chat.

The best part about having no friends or mere acuantances was that it drove Daisy nuts and I literally, wasn't doing a single thing. My shrink told me I was being selfish and childish and blah blah blah. Even talking to him required more attention than I dare allot to anything other than finding Peter.

Did he even want to see me again? Was he searching as hard for me as I was for him? Did he remember me? What would I do when I found him?

It was sometime during my senior year, just after Christmas that the man with the dark curly hair started walking past our house with the ugliest looking white poodle I had ever seen. He automatically gave me the creeps.

If it hadn't been for the same commercial three times in a row, I never would have noticed him. I was too busy watching Professional Crime Stoppers, trying to pick up on new methods of investigating lost persons. But since that day he's been here around the exact same time. Three in the afternoon give or take about five minutes, fifteen minutes after school lets out, half an hour before my father comes home, an hour since Daisy has entered the house.

The weirdest part? Little Miss Daisy always has errands to run after the poodle man walks by. Never before.

I never really questioned it, or even put the pieces together until the first night of the Shakespeare Project. Tonya Darling, Jacob Krebs, Peter Tigan and I were lumped together, charged with the task of recreating Romeo and Juliet with just the four of us and a camcorder. It was due by the end of the school year.

Jacob had noticed him first. He had nudged Tonya and whispered, "Doesn't he look like a Pirate?"

"Pirates don't have poodles," Tonya remarked stiffly. None of us liked each other. That had been evident from the get go. The boys were all about goofing off, constantly picking fights with each other. Tonya and I hadn't talked since the night I destroyed Neverland.

"Nor do they have anything to do with Romeo and Juliet," I added.

"Don't side with me now, Jessica," Tonya's voice grew colder still. "If I was looking for a friend I would've asked for Tigan's opinion."

"Irrelevant," I sighed. "Whether we like it or not we have to get somewhere with this play. Who wants to play which part?"

The boys started bickering about who got to play Romeo and who got to play Tybalt and Mercutio.

"I don't want to be the sniveling romantic. You play Romeo."

"I don't want to have to kiss one of them! I'd rather kill you! You play Romeo."

"Guys," I reminded them. "Romeo kills himself."

"All the better!" They both ranted at me.

"He dies near the beginning, right?"

"Have you even read the play?" Tonya yelled. "I give up! Somebody hand me the camcorder. I'll be the camera woman."

Which started the boys yelling, I want to be the camera man! The ranting and raving never stopped until the back door to the garage shut ever so quietly. It was a slight click that made us all take pause. Miss Daisy was running to the store, again.

"Is this an everyday occurance?" Peter asked me. His green eyes boring into mine. They reminded me of another Peter. One he could never have been. His accent was all wrong, more American than English. His hair a tad too dark, his eyes too vacant to be my Peter. I had written him off at the beginning of the school year when he transferred. My Peter wouldn't have ended up somewhere in America, surely. I had returned to my room and Tonya to hers.

"A bunch of annoying seniors yelling obscenities at each other and demanding that the other play the leading role in a Shakespeare film?" I demanded, harsher than I originally intended. "Not so much."

"Not this," he waved his arms, indicating us. "That!"

He was now pointing out the window where Miss Daisy was picking the Poodlephilic Pirate up off of the side of the road about a block down from ours.

I wanted to puke and dance all at the same time. Miss Daisy was either being super helpful today—a huge change in her personality that suggested she was finally on her last leg—or she was potentially cheating on my father.

It was the first real surge of joy I had felt in a long while.

"It happens every day," I answered and suddenly, we had our Romeo and Juliet skit. It was totally rewritten and used people other than students, but Daisy was our leading Juliet, planning to marry Paris while seeing Romeo—the nasty looking poodle pirate—on the side. The guys agreed to do voice overs and we found out that we could easily follow them around.

We also learned that we really didn't want to follow them THAT closely and record EVERYTHING they did together. It was vile and hardly appropriate for our class. Furthermore, I had concluded that I finally had a way out of living with Miss Daisy, once and for all. One my dad couldn't refute at all.

One day while we were splicing scenes together, enemy statuses long rewritten, Tonya started sneezing like crazy. We all stopped and looked up at our lead computer guru. She sneezed again and then pointed to the small white cat curled upon Peter's lap.

Tinkerbell!

_Peter_. She purred softly from the depths of his lap.

"Sorry," he muttered, picking her up, attempting to shoo her along. "It's just that she seems to be calling my name every time I pet her. Like, she knows me or something."

"I'm deathly allergic," Tonya replied. "And cat's can't speak, Peter. Jeeze…"

"What's her name?" he asked, ignoring Tonya's comments.

"Tinkerbell," I answered quietly.

Tonya snickered. "Really? You named your cat after that story? Let me guess, the black one is Peter Pan?"

"Peter Pan?" Peter Tigan asked. "Who's that?"

But there was something in the way he asked the question that told me he already knew.

"How do you not know the story of Peter Pan?" Jacob asked, eyeing him funny, like he knew Peter knew more than he was letting on too. "It's not a favorite of you Yankees?"

"I wasn't born a Yankee!" Peter scoffed. "There was just an accident back in the states that must've killed my parents. I can't really recall it. I was adopted by my mom and dad, we stayed there for a while, I think they were trying to make sure I really was an orphan. Then we moved back here."

"Not a Yankee, eh? So how come you don't know THE story of Peter Pan?" I asked. "Tonya Darling and her family have been famous for decades telling it. The Boy who Never Grew Up; you should tell it now, Tonya."

She was after all our narrator for our film. She was a good story teller, always had been. I think it runs in the Darling Blood. It was, after all, what had first lured Pan from his world and into ours, that sweet story telling talent of Wendy Darling.

Tonya protested at first, but Jacob and I helped her out. Along the way, Peter himself pointed out a few discrepancies and I knew. I never should have let his American accent persuade me otherwise.

It suddenly became clear why we were all always so tense over this project. Everybody here, Jacob the lost boy of Tonya's dreams, all hated me. I had demolished the one safe place we had ever known. But it was funny, because out of the four of us, it was Peter who really didn't seem to hate me the most, like he should have.

Was it because he couldn't remember what had happened?

Was anybody going to bring up the fact that we had all been to Neverland together?

"Peter," Jacob finally exhaled. "I think we should tell them, Mate."

"Tell them what?" And I could see that he really had no idea what Jacob was talking about.

"You're Jacob, the lost boy," Tonya suddenly turned to Jacob, a look of utter fascination racing across her face. I hadn't even thought of it. "Aren't you?"

Jake nodded and she continued, "Is he really Peter Pan?"

Had we all been looking for him?

"Now hold up a second. My last name isn't Pan, I didn't wear any girly green tights and I didn't live with a fairy named Tinkerbell. Fairies aren't even—"

"NO!" I shouted, jumping off the seat I was sitting on, plastering my hand all over his face, aiming to keep his mouth shut. "Don't say it."

"Real." He finished, like he was suddenly the only sane person in the room.

And then my small little white cat died.


End file.
